Duel Phantom
by A Mere Servant of God
Summary: After a natural diasater befalls Duel Academy during the summer, the campus is relocated...to Amity Park! Crossover with Danny Phantom, Alternate Timeline after 'Rise of the Sacred Beasts'.
1. Get Your Game On!

Hello there, and welcome to my newest fanfic, Duel Phantom! In this story, (which takes place after 'Rise of the Sacred Beasts' in the TV series, in place of the Society of the Light arc) Jaden and his friends are ready for another school year, and a certain half-ghost hero from Amity Park is trying to get in Duel Academy as well! Yeah, I know, real original...

BASIC RULES: I'm taking the TV show approach here: 4000 life points, defense mode monsters don't have to be set to be summoned (I'm not entirely sure that's even a rule). Oh, and I'm using the approach of Cyber Commander and Man Called True: If I make up a card, I provide details of it at the end of the chapter. Yay.

That's about it, actually...BEGIN CHAPPIE MODE, EXECUTE! HEEEE-YIIII-YOOOOOOO!

**0 0 0**

It had been a rough summer for Duel Academy.

Being on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean made an island susceptible to hurricanes, typhoons, and tsunamis. Experts had said it was unlikely any would hit, because they weren't near any fault lines, any hurricanes would be swept away, not toward Duel Island, due to the global air currents, and typhoons simply would not hit the island.

Only problem was, there was an active volcano on the island.

Sure, everyone said it was under control. They said it wasn't going to erupt. They said it was extinct. They said that about Mt. St. Helens too.

So, even with modern advances in technology, Duel Academy was pretty inaccessible for the next decade or so. So, where to send the students while cleanup was being made?

Pegasus was apparently worried about the student's safety, because, his exact words were: "I don't want those poor students of yours getting hurt, Kaiba-boy. So, I would suggest you send them to Amity Park, Oregon! Even with all the ghost attacks, Phantom-boy should protect them! I'm even designing some cards based just on him. Take a look, tell me what you think!"

"How about no?" responded Kaiba. "If you honestly believe in some ghost-turned-superhero and some stupid urban legends about ghost attacks, then feel free to go there yourself. As for me…"

"Oh, have you forgotten about that one time when the Sharks and the Flies tried to get that dirt on you, and I-"

"Fine!" shouted Kaiba, interrupting. "I'll send them to stupid Amity. But now we're even, you hear me, you psycho!"

"Now, Kaiba-boy, it's not nice to call people names…"

And so, the students of Duel Academy prepared to spend the rest of their school experience in the town of Amity Park…

**0 0 0**

"Jaden! Jaden! Aw, c'mon Jaden…wake up…"

"Huh? What? What's going on?" said Jaden, snapping out a good dream he was having to Syrus's pleading.

"We're here, dipstick, that's what!" shouted Chazz, angrily. "Sheesh…your snoring has keeping me from listening to my music this whole trip…AND THE VOLUME'S UP TO MAXIMUM!"

"Apparently, so is your voice…" mumbled Alexis, as Jaden peered out the window of the school bus.

_-Amity Park…- _thought Jaden, reading the billboard that announced that 'You're in Amity Park, a safe place to live!' _–Of course, the 'safe' has been crossed out and replaced with nice…'_

"Hmph," scoffed Chazz, looking at the same sign as Jaden and taking out his headphones. "Population: 3,706. With a slogan like that, it's a wonder they have a population at all."

"Aw, c'mon, Chazz! Lighten up!" Jaden shouted, turning around in his seat to face Chazz and Alexis, who were sitting behind him. Chazz was obviously overjoyed by the fact he and Alexis were sitting together.

"No, I'd have to agree with Chazz on this one, surprisingly enough," mumbled Bastion, who was sitting in the seat next to Chazz and Alexis, along with Atticus, who had the window seat, and therefore was grinning like a little kid.

"Ho boy…" said Alexis, as Chazz started shouting at Bastion for the insinuation that he was dumb/moronic/unintelligent.

"Guys, guys, calm down!" said Jaden. "You're just upset we're not going back to the island this year, and-"

"Of course I'm upset, moron!" shouted Chazz, the seat he was on practically setting on fire. "It's bad enough I have to stay in some shack of a dorm, now I have to stay in some shack of a dorm that was thrown together at the last minute in a town nobody visits! I'm Chazz Princeton! I shouldn't have to stay in some penniless dump, where the name of the best restaurant in town is the Nasty Burger!" he bellowed, indicating the fast food eatery out his window.

"Hey, look on the bright side!" said Atticus, cheerily. "Maybe we'll get to see Danny Phantom fight a ghost!"

"Oh, please," said Bastion. "You really believe the propaganda and misinformation that come out of a small town that obviously needs more tourists?"

"I hope it really isn't true…" mumbled Syrus. "I'm scared of ghosts…"

Across town, one hour later, two 15-year old students watched the opening ceremonies of Duel Academy II. Both of them had wanted to attend a year ago, but complications had gotten in the way. But now, both of them were going to attend, and attend to their responsibilities as well.

Danny Fenton and Tucker Foley walked in to take the placement exams.

**0 0 0**

"Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress #1, finish it!"

The applicant screamed as the instructor's monster flew through him, draining his last 1000 life points. He slowly sank to the ground as the holograms faded away and the instructor stepped off the stage.

"W-w-wait…" mumbled the student. "Please…give me another chance!"

"You'll get another chance next year," said the instructor, walking back towards the grading section.

"So, how'd young Jeremiah do?" said a nearly bald-headed man with white hair, apparently a judge.

"Pathetic," said the instructor. "He barely scratched my life points." With these words, he held up his duel disk, which was still shutting down. 3800 was the number shown.

"Hmm. Pity," said the judge. "He did so well on the multiple choice and written exams, too. Well, perhaps the last applicant of the day will join the minority that has gotten in this year."

"I'll be the judge of that."

"Dr. Crowler!" both of them said, surprised at the teacher's entrance.

"What do you mean?" asked the instructor.

"Wait a second…" said the judge, a little startled. "You were serious when you said you'd be dueling one of the applicants yourself!"

"My good man, I never joke! In fact, I would duel al of these young aspiring duelists myself, if it were not for rules against it. I'm lucky I found a loophole that even got me to duel one! Now, announce it over the intercom that I'm about to duel."

"Sigh…fine…" said the judge, flipping on the intercom and taking a deep breath…

MEANWHILE…

"I can't believe they didn't even let me duel an instructor!" groaned Tucker, who was in the front row, sitting next to Sam, who was sitting next to an empty seat with a piece of paper taped to it that had "Reserved for Jasmine Fenton" on it. "My test answers were utter genius! How can anyone accuse me of knowing nothing about Duel Monsters?"

Sam, who was looking through her deck, occasionally putting in a card or taking out one, just sat there, listening to him rant. Finally, she turned to him. "How many cards does Jar of Greed let you draw?"

"Huh?" said Tucker. Sam continued to stare at him, waiting for an answer. "Er…two?"

"Wrong, the answer was one," corrected Sam, who then went back to her deck.

"Oh, sure, ask me the one thing I don't know! Come on, another question!"

Sam turned to him again. "Which monster represents the eternal struggle for good and evil in a human soul, and can go down either road when you play a certain field spell?"

"Um…well…" stalled Tucker.

"Warrior of Zera. If Pandemonium is played, it becomes Archfiend Zerato, a powerful Fiend. If Sanctuary in the Sky is played, it becomes Archlord Zerato, a powerful Fairy. What is the effect of Prickle Fairy?"

"Um…your opponent takes 400 points of damage each turn?"

"No. The answer was: None of your Insect-type monsters can be attacked. What Machine type monster could, due to its effect, defeat a Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon if you have four other machines out?"

"I know this one!" exclaimed Tucker, "Perfect Machine King!"

"See, there's your problem," said Sam, turning to her deck once more.

"What, now?" said Tucker, confused.

"You don't care about a card unless it happens to be a machine, and even then, only if it's in your deck," Sam said without looking up, as she shuffled her deck.

"Um…so?" said Tucker.

"You can't just go around playing your cards and hoping your opponent doesn't have something that can stomp you. You need to know what kind of strategies are out there; what certain decks with certain themes can do."

"Oh yeah? Well, if you're such a hotshot, how come _you_ didn't apply to come here?" challenged Tucker.

"Because this school is for people who one day want to go into dueling careers. Pro circuits, card designing, maybe even teaching at one of many dueling schools. I don't plan to do any of that. I duel for fun, not for profit."

Before Tuck could respond, the intercom switched on. "Will everyone please take a seat and vacate the dueling platforms? Dr. Crowler, this year's new chancellor, will be dueling our final applicant, who got the highest score on the pretest: Danny Fenton. Thank you."

"The chancellor?" said Tucker, confused again.

"Sorry I'm late. Looks like I got here just in time!" said Jazz, as she slipped into her seat.

"Yep," said Sam.

"Although I didn't think you would show…" mumbled Tucker.

"Hey!" shouted Jazz. "I may not like dueling, but I support my little brother! Wait…he got the top score? Way to go, little bro!"

"Yeah, occasionally Danny does his homework," said Sam, as Danny walked in from the doorway on the right, and a tall man walked in from the left…at least, they thought that was a man.

MEANWHILE, WHERE DANNY WAS WALKING IN…

To the left of Danny, a group of students from last year watched him walk in. "Hey!" shouted one of them.

Danny turned.

"So, you're that Fenton guy, huh? Going up against Dr. Crowler is tough, but I'm sure you can beat him. After all, I did, and I barely passed the pre-exam!"

Danny looked confused, as the student in all black behind the red-coated student mumbled out a "Yeah, and I still think it was a technical glitch that he passed…"

"Anyway, my name is Jaden! Jaden Yuki!" with this, the Slifer stuck out his hand, smiling. "Good luck out there!"

Danny looked at the hand for a bit, then smiled and took it in his own. "Thanks," he said, simply, before walking up to the dueling platform to take his placement exam…

**0 0 0**

Sorry, no duel in this prologue! However, there will be in the First Chapter. Also, you'll note that in the duel, most of Dany's cards are made up. Reasons for this may be explained next chapter, may be explained later. I already know why this is, I just need an appropriate place to write them in...

EDITED 9/03/06: Corrected a few typos. Changed all mentions of "Adacus" to the correct "Atticus".

EDITED 9/15/06: Bumped Danny and Tucker's ages up a year to make it legal for them to enter Duel Academy.


	2. It's Time to Duel!

Before this chapter starts, I'd like to thank my reviewers in general, and say a couple personal things...

leo the white ranger: Your questions were: Will the characters of Danny Phantom be cards? Which dorm will Danny be in? Well, I can answer both your questions the same way...read on, an you may jsut find out...

Wolf-blades-wings: Thanks for correcting my spelling, and giving me the advice about having a friend read. Unfortuantely, I live in a small town, so I don't have any friends who are into both Danny Phantom and Yu-gi-oh GX, so I doubt any of the mwould agree to it...therefore, there probably will be typos in this chapter...if it's anything major, just lemme know, okay?

**0 0 0**

"Well, well, well!" said Dr. Crowler. "So you're the duelist that managed to get the highest score in our pre-placement exams! Awfully scrawny, but I guess you can't judge a book by its cover."

_-More than you know…- _thought Danny, smiling. Out loud, he said, "So, you think you're ready to duel me, Chancellor Crowler?"

_-Hmm…Chancellor Crowler…has a nice ring to it!- _thought the doctor. Out loud, the response was: "I have a PhD in dueling, young man. The question should be: will you _ever_ be ready to face a duelist of my caliber?"

"Let's find out!" shouted Danny, activating his Duel Disk.

"If you insist!" shouted Crowler, activating his.

"BEGIN!" shouted one of the judges as the life point meters were set at 4000 apiece.

"Hey, Jaden?" asked Syrus, up in the stands, as the duelists drew their five cards.

"Hmm?" was the reply.

"Why were you so friendly to that guy? I mean, you said 'hi' to everyone, but…"

"I don't know," responded Jaden, "Maybe it's because he's going up against Crowler, or maybe it's that when he walked by…" his eyes narrowed, "I felt something…a strong burst of bravery and strength…"

"Or maybe those seven hot dogs you ate for lunch are finally coming back on you," said Chazz.

MEANWHILE, BACK ON THE FIELD…

"Age before beauty," said Danny, indicating Dr. Crowler.

"Either way, I go first," said the good doctor, drawing a sixth card, as was required. "Hmm…not a bad hand," he mused. "Alright, first I'll play the spell card Ancient Gear Castle!"

With these words, a huge castle erupted from behind Dr. Crowler. It was menacing, foreboding, and rather old looking. As the thing awed the audience, Crowler just stood there, smiling.

"Okay…" said Danny, looking worried. "What does it do?"

"It has two effects. The first one: all cards with 'Ancient Gear' in their name gain 300 attack points…like my Ancient Gear Soldier (1300/1300)!"

Suddenly, what looked like a bunch of gears with dusty stone armor and an antique machine gun jumped down from the sky, landing ungracefully but unharmed on the field. As its attack rose up to 1600, one of the castle's tower's windows started glowing white.

"That's its other effect," said Crowler, the smile on his face getting even larger. "It gains a counter every time someone Normal Summons or Sets a monster!"

"What do the counters do?" asked Danny.

"That's for me to know and you to find out!" said Crowler. "I end my turn."

MEANWHILE, UP IN THE STANDS…

"Crowler pulled out the ol' castle early!" said Atticus. "And here I was, hoping he might go easy on the poor kid…"

"Are you kidding? Crowler never goes easy! Although, he is going a bit tougher than usual…" Alexis commented.

"Don't worry!" said Jaden. "We're supporting him, right? That means that he can't lose!"

"Go get him, Danny!" shouted Syrus.

BACK ON THE FIELD…

Danny had lost some of the confidence he'd gotten when he first looked at this effeminate chancellor, but he sure as heck wasn't about to give up. The cards he held in his hand allowed to make a nice little combo…he drew a card…and outright smiled. "This'll be good for later," he said, "But as for now…" he took a card from his hand and held it up. "I'll play Graceful Charity!"

The familiar card glowed, and a beautiful angel flew out of it, and then flew into his duel disk. "This card lets me draw three cards," he said as the angel flew back out with three cards, "After which I must discard two." With this, he handed the angel two of his cards, and then she flew into his graveyard.

Suddenly, his graveyard started glowing a bright green! "What on earth is this!" shouted Dr. Crowler, and much of the audience said similar things.

"Oh, nothing…just that the second card I sent was one called Ectoplasmic Energy Sample!" responded Danny. "When it goes from my hand, deck, or field to the graveyard due to a card effect, I get to draw two cards!" And as he said this, the top two cards of his deck glowed green, then shot off his deck into his hand. The green glowing also stopped suddenly.

"Hmm…" mumbled Crowler, "Not too bad…"

"But wait, there's more!" said Danny, taking another card from his hand. "Now, I'll summon a monster to the field! She's dark, she's smart, and she's a true friend! Let's all give a warm Duel Academy welcome for…**Sam, the Fiercely Independent Goth!** (1500/1000)

UP IN THE STANDS…

"Say what now!" said a shocked Jazz.

"There's a card modeled after me?" said a confused Sam.

"Heh, heh, heh!" chuckled an amused Tucker. Then, purposefully taking on a 'Aw, isn't that too precious!' look, he said to Sam, in half baby-talk, "I bet he stares at it longingly every second of his free time, just dreaming of the day when he can hold you in his arms like he holds that precious card!"

One very large **WHAM** later, Tucker was out of the stands, and on the floor below. It took him about 30 seconds to climb back up, just so you know.

BACK BELOW…

"Impressive monster!" said Crowler, indicating the cute (A/N: Don't deny it! Sam is very pretty) girl in font of and to the right of Danny as another tower's window started glowing. "But, not quite enough to stack up to my Soldier, I'm afraid…"

"Ah, ah, ah!" said Danny, having regained his confidence. "You forget her effect! She can summon one Dark monster from the graveyard, provided that it is level six or lower! And guess what the first card I discarded due to Graceful Charity was?"

Crowler just stared at him.

"Can't figure it out, huh? Well, here's a hint…be reborn, **Chaos, Cybernetic Ruler of Doomed! **(2400/1700)

Suddenly, a tall, muscular, mechanical figure in black and purple took to the field. It held at least six different weapons on its body, and was at least 10 feet tall. It also had a small ponytail identical to Sam.

UP IN THE STANDS…

"Wow! Sam sure is a sweet card!" shouted Jaden.

"Yeah, and apparently she's a duel spirit, too!" said Syrus.

"What do you mean, Sy?" asked Alexis.

"Just look over there," said Syrus, indicating the stands across from them.

"Hey…you're right!" said Jaden.

"Actually, that's just a girl, not a Duel Monster," said Bastion.

"In that case, I think I'll ask for her number after the duel's over!" said Atticus.

BACK FIELD WHOOPEE…

"Very well done! I honestly wasn't expecting that!" said Crowler. _–Too bad it will never stand up to what I'm planning next…-_ He thought.

"Thanks…Now, Chaos!" Danny yelled, "Attack that Soldier with your Plasma Power Pistol!"

With these words, Chaos drew a small laser gun and shot a pink energy beam through Ancient Gear Soldier's chest. It hit Crowler in the chest as well, but disappeared there. Dr. Crowler took a step back and grunted as his life points went down to 3200. "Now, Sam, if you would please…" Sam card (A/N: Gotta tell the difference somehow…) started running toward Dr. Crowler. "Attack him directly with Graceful Steel-Toed Combat Boot!"

"Wait…no!" Crowler yelled. But it was no use, as Sam card suddenly jumped into the air, twirled, and delivered a sharp kick (and I do mean a _sharp_ kick) to Crowler's abdomen. He fell over, moaning in pain, as Sam card back-flipped, with one hand, three times, landing on her feet and taking a fighting stance. Crowler's life points wet to 1700.

UP STANDS…

"Hey, can you do that in real life?" asked one boy sitting behind Sam, who obviously had "certain things" in mind.

One large **POW** later, that boy's new seat was in row 26e instead of 2b.

GO. FIELD. NOW.

"I'll end my turn with two facedown cards," Danny said as Crowler slowly got up.

"Grr…" said Crowler. "You, young man, have made your second mistake…making me angry!" He then drew a card, bringing his hand to five. "Now you'll find out what these counters are four…I can use them as tributes instead of monsters, so long as there is at least one counter for every monster I need to tribute…then my castle is destroyed…but it will be worth it to summon my ultimate Ancient Gear…ANCIENT GEAR GOLEM (3000/3000)!"

Suddenly, the Ancient Gear Castle started to shake, the room along with it. A break appeared here, a crack there, and the counters zoomed out of the windows into the courtyard and started to glow brightly…finally, the castle seemed to explode as the monster within was revealed…it was similar to Ancient Gear Soldier in that it was made of gears and armor, but it was much larger, and had a roman gladiator-style helmet. Suddenly, the half of its helmet that wasn't there glowed red. An eye-like device was there…and pointed straight at Danny!

Everyone got up except Crowler, who was used to these quakes and therefore had not fallen. "Feast your eyes upon the greatest monster mankind has ever known!" shouted Crowler. "Which brings us to mentioning your first mistake…ever thinking you could ever beat me!" The Golem pounded its hands on its chest as if in agreement. "But before we have it attack, I'll play the magic card, Ancient Gear Drill!"

With that, a circular device made of (you guessed it) gears and armor appeared on the field. It stood on three legs, made from pure stone and, despite its decrepit looks, really did look a drill…but one gear was clearly missing!

"Right now my gear is not currently operating, admittedly," Crowler said. "but we can always fix that, so long as a monster with "Ancient Gear" in its name is on the field. And my Golem definitely qualifies! Ancient Gear Golem?"

The monster slowly turned its gears to look down to its master. "Would you please lend my drill a gear for just a little bit?" Ancient Gear Golem slowly nodded, then used his right hand to pick a gear from his left, which went limp. He inserted the gear into the drill, then turned back toward Danny.

"I see it's a gentle giant…" mumbled Danny, hopefully.

"Only to its friends!" Crowler replied. "It is absolutely ruthless to its enemies! But we'll get to that later. As for now, I will discard one card, my Ancient Gear Beast (2000/2000), to fuel my drill…" With this, the drill started spinning madly. "Now!" shouted Crowler, over the VERY LOUD NOISE, "I can take any magic card from my deck and add it to my hand, like Pot of Greed!"

Suddenly, the drill stopped spinning, and out of the hole it created, a card inexplicably popped out. As Gear Golem took back his gear and the drill disappeared, Crowler shouted: "And now I will use Pot of Greed!"

After the doctor drew his two cards, before he could continue, Danny piped up. "How come you like Ancient Gears so much?" As Crowler looked up, Danny smirked. "Is it because they're old as you are?"

Crowler's face immediately scowled as laughter and 'Oh!'s went through the audience. Jaden and Tucker, in particular, were cracking up. A few seconds after the laughter stopped, Crowler…smiled! And chuckled! "Ah, you are a clever young man!" he said, giving off a final snigger. "I can take a joke! And, just to prove I'm a good sport I'll tell you the real reason why I love them so much." He paused for just a second before continuing.

"In my youth, I always admired civilizations of the past for being so resourceful…pioneering, even! They lived off the land, and if they ever needed something they couldn't just drive to the nearest Wall-2-Wall Mart! No, they made their own amusement, their own tools, and both are still studied in museums to this day. Things back then were built to last, not like today's sorry machinery! Allow me to show you what I mean…Ancient Gear golem, attack that weak machine known as Chaos with Mechanized Melee!" With this, the Golem raised up his left hand, intent on destroying Chaos…

"Sorry, but not after I activate this!" Danny shouted…but nothing happened. "I said: Activate this! Why can't I activate this!"

"Because of Ancient Gear Golem's effect!" Crowler said, as the Golem began to swing his fist. "When he attacks, no Spell or Trap cards can be activated until after the battle is over! So sorry…" With this, the Golem's fist smashed down on Chaos, sending parts everywhere, and sending Danny's life points down to 3400. "Oh, and he has a trampling effect too, so don't bother trying to hide in defense mode! I'll end my turn with two facedown cards…"

UPSTANDS…

"That's not fair!" shouted Jazz. "Attack equivalent to a Blue Eyes White Dragon, and you can't activate any cards when it attacks, plus a trampling effect, whatever that is? That monster is broken and cheap!"

"I know!" said Sam. "Plus, it just took out my avatar on Doomed!"

ACROSSTANDS…

"That kid's in a lot of trouble!" said Chazz.

"Yes," said Bastion. "The odds of him winning now are approximately 200 to 1. In other words, if this were a horse race, he'd be the horse distracted by the grass on the side of the racetrack."

"Don't count him out just yet," said Alexis. "I get the same feeling from him I get when Jaden plays…he's not out of this yet."

DOWNFIELDS…

"Okay…" sighed Danny drawing. He slowly opened his eyes…then breathed a sigh of relief. "I summon Ectopuss (0/800) in defense mode!" A green blob with red eyes and eight tentacles appeared on the field. "The great thing about Ectopuss is that summoning him counts as a Special Summon. So, I banish him to the graveyard as a tribute!" With these words, Ectopuss disappeared. "That way, I can summon **Danny Phantom, the Hero of Amity Park!** (1800/1000)

STANDS NOW, FOO!

"So, it appears Danny Fenton believes this stupid gossip about ghosts in this town…" remarked Bastion.

"Well, his parents are ghost hunters, and inventors at that," pointed out Atticus. "Don't tell you me you've never used Fenton Wipe before!"

"I'm beginning to think you know too much about this town for your own good, Atticus…" said Chazz, in his usual bored tone. "And I use Charmin, myself…I have a delicate rear…"

FIELD SPELL: DANNY VS. CROWLER

I don't think I need to tell you what everyone's favorite phantom looks like if you're reading this story. I will tell you, however, what Crowler said: "Well, its points aren't that good for a five or six star monster…so, what's his effect?"

"I'm glad you asked!" responded Danny. "If he battles a Zombie or Fiend type monster, it is destroyed automatically, no battle damage being counted _unless_ his attack points are higher!"

"So he's Getsu Fuhma on steroids?" remarked Crowler.

"Better!" said Danny. "He also cannot be destroyed by any Zombie or Fiend type monsters!"

"I see…impressive," said the good doctor. "But in case you haven't noticed by now, Daniel, my monsters are all machines! What use will the protector of Amity Park be, hmm?"

"A lot of use after I play DNA Surgery!" shouted Danny, as the second trap card he had set lifted. The crowd who knew what DNA Surgery did (AKA everyone besides Tucker) talked amongst themselves as Danny continued. "This will allow me to change all the monsters on the field to any one type I choose…and I choose Zombie!"

Although Danny Phantom remained unchanged, Sam card's skirt and shirt changed into a slimming black dress and suddenly became much longer, her eyes glowed green, and her hair turned white. A belt with a skull on it appeared around her waist as well. At first glance, Ancient Gear Golem hadn't changed, but upon closer inspection, its eye had turned a light blue, almost white.

"Now, Danny Phantom, attack Ancient Gear Golem with Ectoplasmic Energy Blast!" shouted Danny, and Danny Phantom flew up until he was eye level with the golem, then shot a massive green energy beam straight into its eye. The golem promptly exploded. "Sam, it's your turn!" Sam card's white hair abruptly started crackling and flailing about as she rose into the air…then, ghostly skulls flew from behind her, toward Dr. Crowler, intent on striking…

"I activate Guardian Angel of the Tombstone!" Crowler shouted, indicating his facedown card, which lifted up. All of a sudden, a large tombstone sprouted out of the ground, a stone angel on top of it. The skulls rushed forward, uncaring…until the angel suddenly moved, his hands moving forward, an invisible force blowing the skulls away.

Sam card slowly sank to the ground, fuming. Danny Phantom took one step to his right to get away from the freaky show she'd just put on. "What happened?" Danny Fenton said.

"My trap card!" Crowler said. "It's like Negate Attack, only a monster of mine has to be destroyed before I can use it…that way, it's legal for me to have more than one in my deck!"

"Fine…" Danny grumbled. "I'll end my turn…"

Crowler drew a card. "Oh, goodie!" he said. "I'll save this for a little later. As for now, I activate the Trap card Ultimate Offering! Now, by paying 500 life points per extra, I am allowed extra Normal Summons and Sets! So first, I'll summon another Ancient Gear Soldier…" And one appeared. "Then I'll sacrifice it to summon my second Ancient Gear Beast!" As Crowler's life points went down to 1200, yet another armor-covered gear-creature appeared, this one a lot like a wolf. "Now, my hand's getting a little limited, and yours is too…so I'll play Card of Sanctity! Now we each draw until we hold six cards!"

They both did so. _–Yeah, none of these I can use right now, thanks!-_ thought Danny.

_-Hmm…-_ thought Crowler. –_Nothing much I can use right now, but I might be able to soon…for now, I'll just use these…-_ "First I'll pay 500 more life points (700 left now) to summon Ancient Gear Cannon (500/500)!" You can probably guess what this looked like. "Now I can use its effect to hit you for 500 points of damage…but my cannon is so very aged, it won't be able to take shooting the round! Oh well…fire, my cannon!"

True to Crowler's word, it fired, although most of the round consumed the firer. 500 points were apparently still in the round though, as that's how much Danny lost, putting him at 2900. "Now, I'll play Heavy Storm!" shouted Dr. Crowler. A strong wind blew across the field, with an occasional flash of lightining...first Danny's facedown disappeared...then Ultiamte Offering...finally, DNA Surgery, putting all monsters back at their normal types! "Ancient Gear Beast, take down that pestering Phantom!" The Beast leapt toward Danny Phantom, who fought back, but alas, was no match for the raging hound. Danny's life points fell to 2700 as Crowler said: "Now, I end my turn with a facedown card."

Not a soul in the stadium spoke as Danny drew his next card. _–I've got so much in my hand here, yet so little I can use! Here goes nothing…-_ And then he looked at the card he had just drawn…and smiled.

"Sorry, Chancellor, but I summon **Tucker, the Techno-Geek!**" (1000/1500)

"HEY!" came Tucker's voice from the stands. A few seconds later, there was a "Yeah, you're right…"

"Anyway…" said Danny, "Tucker's effect: If there is a Machine on my side of the field, he gains 1000 attack and defense points…and if there is one on your side of the field, it loses 1000 attack and defense points!"

"What!" went Dr. Crowler, even as tucker pulled out a small disk and tossed it at Ancient Gear Beast. A small crackle of electricity later, the Beast's new stats were (1000/1000).

"Sam Manson, do your stuff!" Danny shouted. Sam card promptly ran over and did her GS-TCB, sending Ancient Gear Beast to oblivion, and Crowler's life points to 200. "Now, Tucker, finish it with Techno Beatdown!"

Tucker card ran over to Crowler, who simply gestured toward his facedown…a familiar stone angel and tombstone sprung up from the ground and halted Tucker card in his tracks. "I told you I had more than one of those, didn't I?"

"I…end my turn…" said Danny, a little sadly.

Dr. Crowler drew a card, and the biggest grin yet broke out on his face. "I'm going to summon a second Ancient Gear Golem!"

"Um…don't you need tributes for that?" asked Danny.

"Of course I do…they're in my graveyard!" said Crowler. "I activate the device that modern day people use to remake machines first used thousands of years ago…ANCIENT GEAR FACTORY!"

Out of the clear blue sky, a giant, sea-blue container with bells, whistles, wires, and buttons and levers and all, covered with star-shaped lights came. "This marvelous device allows me to use monsters in my graveyard as tributes when I summon a monster with 'Ancient Gear' in its name, so long as the monsters I tribute also have 'Ancient Gear' in their name, AND their combined levels are at least twice that of the monster I'm summoning…so I'll tribute both Ancient Gear Soldiers and my previous Ancient Gear Golem to summon my second Ancient Gear Golem!"

As Crowler spoke, the spirits of the Gears he was tributing appeared above the device, then turned into gears themselves…they fell into the machine through a large funnel, and the bells, whistles, etc. started doing their thing.

Danny snapped out of the daze he was put in when he heard the tributes were already in the graveyard. "Oh, come ON! How cheap are these Ancient Gears going to get!"

"My dear boy, you have so much to learn…" mused Crowler, shaking his head slowly, as the stars began to light up, one by one. "A wise man once said 'All's fair in love and war'…well, he forgot to include Duel Monsters in that list!" As Dr. Crowler finished, the sixteenth star lit up, and the machine slowly opened…there stood a somewhat shinier, silver-painted Ancient Gear Golem!

"Okay, then, but you forget Tucker's ability…get 'em, Tuck!" After Danny said this, Tucker card pulled out his PDA, and shot an infrared beam into the Golem's eye. Immediately, all of its armor fell off! The Golem looked down, then covered up where its privates would be if it weren't a machine.

"And you forget, young novice," responded Crowler, "That even weakened, my Golem is much more powerful than either of your monsters! Take out Tucker with Mechanized Melee!"

The giant quickly swatted Tucker card away, then started picking up his armor and putting it back on. "I end my turn…and next turn, you'll be finished, I assure you!" Crowler said, as Danny's life points went down to 1700 and the Golem finished "dressing".

UP IN THE STANDS…

"C'mon, Danny…don't let that Gear Golem scare you…you can do it!" said Sam, anxiously.

"Little brother…the chancellor is cheap, but you're better! Do something, anything to help you win…" pleaded Jazz.

"Man, we've best friends forever…I may not have been able to get in Duel Academy, but you still can!" cried Tucker, somewhat quietly. "Don't let me down…"

ACROSS THE STANDS…

"Danny…" said Syrus, simply.

"Don't worry, Sy!" said Jaden. "I'm sure he'll win this."

"Not likely," said Bastion, who was holding binoculars and being the killjoy, as usual. "I can see his hand from here, and although all his cards are good, he can't really use them in his present situation. I'd estimate his chances of winning this to be 2000 to 1. In short, if this were a horserace, he'd be the sick horse the owner has to shoot."

"Don't sell him out just yet, Bastion," said Alexis. "The kid's got guts, if nothing else."

"Yeah, and besides that," Atticus butted in, "He's a Fenton! Go, Danny, go! Go, Danny, go!

As Atticus continued cheering, Jaden and Alexis joined in, then Syrus, then a half- hearted Chazz, then people around them, people around them, people around them, Bastion, people around them, and etc., all the way through the stadium.

Amongst all these cheers, Danny looked frightened. But, looking around himself, Danny saw people cheering, heard their cheers, and felt their faith in him in his heart. He looked down at his deck. _–I've seen enough supernatural stuff in my lifetime…but…does it really work? Does the supernatural really reach into this simple game? Well…if it does…then all these people…cheering me on…if it really is real…then I can't lose!-_ He prepared to draw. –_Heart of the Cards…please guide my hand!-_

He drew.

The audience held their breath.

There was a long silence.

"Chancellor…" Danny said, his face emotionless. "You…just…lost." I summon **Jazz, the Psychologist Perfectionist!** (500/0)

Jasmine appeared on the field, holding a pencil and notebook. "So what?" said Crowler. "Her attack points are but a fraction of my Golem's."

"I know," said Danny. "Now…I equip her with Ring of Magnetism! Now, even though her attack and defense decrease by 500 points, all your monsters will be forced to attack her!" True to his word, the Golem seemed very attracted to the ring on her finger.

"_That's_ your saving grace?" asked Crowler.

"Yes, because every time a magic card is played, she gains a counter, which she can use to destroy a magic or trap card on the opponent's field."

"My dear boy, I don't have any of those cards on the field, and even if I did, how would-"

"I'll show you!" he yelled. "Now, I play the spell Counter Creature! Now, I destroy all counters on my side of the field and summon a Counter Token!" (?) Then, a small creature that looked like a small, silver ball appeared, as Jazz got one more of her own. "This token gets 500 attack and defense points for each counter destroyed when you summon!"

"Sorry to burst your bubble, Mr. Fenton: Those monster's combined attack points are still 1001 short of besting my Ancient Gear Golem!"

"That's why I'm playing the Ritual Spell Card, The Darkness Didst Overcome Him! Now I must tribute 8 stars worth of monsters, so goodbye Jazz and Sam…" And they both disappeared from the field. "And hello Dark Dragon Aragon!"

A small amulet appeared on the field, above the Counter Token. (0/0)

"You tributed 2 4-star monsters to get something with zero attack points?"

"Actually, it only has zero attack points until I tribute one monster with 1000 attack points or less! Watch!"

The amulet slowly descended upon the token, finally settling where the neck would be if the Counter Token had one. The amulet glowed green, and the Counter Token began a gruesome and dark transformation…finally, when it stopped, it was a gigantic black and purple dragon!

"As I was saying," said Danny, "Say hello to Dark Dragon Aragon! (2900/2800)"

"Very impressive! Truly!" said Dr. Crowler, marveling at the dragon. "But, unfortunately, it comes up 100 less than my golem, so…"

"Hold it, Crowler!" shouted Danny. "I still have two cards left in my hand…and I'm playing this one: Souls that Died for Humanity! Now, for every Warrior card in my graveyard, one of your monsters loses 400 attack points until the end of my turn!"

"WHAT?" shouted Crowler.

Even as the spirits of Sam, Tucker, and Jazz flew out of Danny's grave and through the Golem, the audience cheered Danny's victory. "Now, Aragon! Finish it with Blackfire Breath!" The ferocious dragon breathed forth black flame, burning the Ancient Gear Golem to ashes and reducing Crowler's life points to zero.

"YES, YES, YES!" shouted Sam.

"Way to go, dude!" shouted Tucker.

"That's my little brother!" screamed Jazz.

Over at the other stands, there was also much celebrating.

"See! I told you he'd win!" Atticus said, as the others cheered.

"But…but how did he…"mumbled Bastion

"Yeah, whatever…"went Chazz, walking away.

Back down on stage, Crowler was unconscious. Danny breathed a sigh of relief as he turned off his duel disk. He looked around at the crowd, which was cheering madly, thrilled he had won.

He had gotten into Duel Academy.

**0 0 0**

**Ectomplasmic Energy Sample**

**Type: **Magic

**Attribute:-**

**Level:-**

**Atk:-**

**Def:-**

**Card Description:** A test tube full of a thick green liquid, with a laboratory background.

When this card is sent from your hand, deck, or the field to the graveyard due to a card effect, draw two cards.

**Sam, the Fiercely Independent Goth **

**Type: **Warrior/Effect/Union

**Attribute: **Dark

**Level:**4

**Atk:** 1500

**Def:** 1000

**Card Description:** A picture of Samantha Manson in a karate pose on a purple and black background.

When you Normal Summon this monster, you may Summon a Dark Attribute Monster of Level Six or lower from your graveyard to the field. Once per turn, during your main phase, you may equip this face-up card to Chaos, Cybernetic Ruler of Doomed OR change it back to a monster in attack position. A monster equipped with this card has its ATK and Defense changed to 3000. (1 monster can only be equipped with 1 Union Monster at a time. If the Monster that this card is equipped to is destroyed in battle, this card is destroyed instead.)

**Chaos, Cyber Ruler of Doomed**

**Type: **Machine

**Attribute: **Dark

**Level:** 6

**Atk: **2400

**Def:** 1700

**Card Description: **Chaos, standing in a battle position in the Doomed video game.

With cheat codes and incredible strength, this avatar is rumored to be unstoppable.

**Ectopuss**

**Type: **Zombie/Effect

**Attribute: **Dark

**Level: **3

**Atk:** 0

**Def: **800

**Card Description:** An ectopuss, halfway out of the ghost portal.

When this monster is normal summoned, it counts as a special summon.

**Danny Phantom, the Hero of Amity Park**

**Type:** Zombie/Effect

**Attribute:** Light

**Level: **5

**Atk: **1800

**Def: **1000

**Card Description:** Danny Phantom, flying high above Amity.

When this card battles a Zombie or Fiend type monster, that monster is automatically destroyed without battle damage being calculated UNLESS this monster's attack is higher than the opposing monster's attack. This card cannot be destroyed by Zombie or Fiend type monsters.

**Guardian Angel of the Tombstone**

**Type:** Trap

**Attribute: -**

**Level: -**

**Atk: -**

**Def: -**

**Card Description:** A tombstone with a statue of an angel on top of it and a night sky background, with a dead tree and full moon behind it as well. Some foreign text is inscribed on the tombstone.

You can only activate this card when a monster attacks on the turn one of your monsters is destroyed in battle or by card effect. Negate that monster's attack and end your opponent's Battle Phase.

**Tucker, The Techno-Geek**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect

**Attribute:** Light

**Level:** 4

**Atk: **1000

**Def: **1500

**Card Description:** Tucker, messing around with his PDA at the Nasty Burger.

If there is a Machine type monster on your side of the field, Tucker gains 1000 Attack and Defense points. If there is a Machine type monster on your opponent's side of the field, it loses 1000 Attack and Defense points.

**Jazz, the Psychologist Perfectionist**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect

**Attribute:** Earth

**Level: **4

**Atk: **500

**Def: **0

**Card Description:** Jasmine Fenton, pencil tapping against chin, notebook in hand.

Every time a magic card is played, this card gets a counter. You may expend this counter in order to destroy one spell or trap card on the field. This card can only get a counter from the same magic card once. (E.G. once Pot of Greed is played, this monster cannot get a counter from another Pot of Greed).

**Counter Creature**

**Type: **Magic

**Attribute:-**

**Level:-**

**Atk:-**

**Def:-**

**Card Description: **A simple spell counter against a white-yellow background.

Destroy all spell counters on your side of the field. Place a Counter Token (?) on an empty space in your monster zone. The Counter Token has 500 attack points and defense points for every counter destroyed by this card.

**The Darkness Didst Overcome Him**

**Type: **Magic/Ritual

**Attribute:**-

**Level:-**

**Atk:-**

**Def:-**

**Card Description: **A person on the balcony of a tower of a castle, his face overshadowed, his eyes glowing red, and a green, glowing amulet around his neck.

This card is used to Ritual Summon Dark Dragon Aragon. In addition, you must also tribute from your hand or the field monsters whose level stars equal eight or more.

**Dark Dragon Aragon**

**Type:** Dragon/Ritual

**Attribute: **Dark

**Level: **8

**Atk: **2900

**Def: **2800

**Card Description**: Aragon flying over a forest of dead trees. A dark, sorrowful kingdom is on a mountain in the background.

This monster can only be Ritual Summoned with the Ritual Spell Card "The Darkness Didst Overcome Him". You must also offer monsters whose total Level Stars equal 8 or more as a Tribute from the field or your hand. When this monster is summoned, its Attack and Defense are zero until you tribute one monster with attack 1000 or less from the field.

**Souls that Died for Humanity**

**Type:** Magic/Quickplay

**Attribute:-**

**Level:-**

**Atk:-**

**Def:-**

**Card Description: **A silhouetted Elemental Hero Wildheart with a visible red heart.

Select one of your opponent's monsters. For every Warrior type Monster in your graveyard, the selected monster loses 400 attack points until the end of the turn.

**0 0 0**

Phew! What a chapter! Yeah...anyway, if you're wondering how Jazz knew BEWD's attack even though she doesn't like Duel Monsters...well, in this world, it doesn't matter how not into Duel Monsters you are, you know something about it. And if you're wondering why some of Danny's cards were in bold...there's a common theme among them that shouldn't be too hard to figure out. Let's see if you can, hm? ;)

By the way, I wasn't sure if Ritual Summoning counted as a Normal or Special Summon...could osmeone tell me? If it's a Normal Summon, I can remedy the situation with the last card Danny had in his hand. If it's Special, the chapter stays as it is. Okay then! That's Chapter 2, and Chappie #3 will be up soon!

EDITED 9/4/06: Accidentally subtracted the cannon's firing twice...my bad.

EDITED 9/15/06: Another correction to Danny's life points, that and I forgot to add ED to the first EDITED. I'm correcting a correction. Just Great.

EDITED 9/22/06: Third time's the charm...turns out, Ancient Gear Factory is very real. Sigh...


	3. Binary Crusher

ANOTHER CHAPTER! Four things to say here. The first thing is that I changed Battle Footballer's appearance somewhat. That's because his regular appearance looks worse than pretty much everything Thing number two: THANK YOU REVIEWERS! Or more specifically:

A Friend of Yours: Really? That seems a little odd. Of course, I experience it occasionally, too. Try imagining Danny and friends in anime style, or Jaden and friends in Hartman style.

Number Three: I've been forgetting this, so...Danny Phantom, Yu-gi-oh, all of these caeds besides the ones I make up, and Charmin are all copyright theri respective owners, not me. Cards I make up? COPYRIGHT ME.

Finally: Betcha can't guess what kind of deck Sam uses!

**0 0 0**

"Good job, little brother!" said Jazz, excitedly, a few minutes after his duel. "Even though I had no clue what was going on most of the time…"

"I gotta admit, Danny, that was pretty cool!" said Tucker, "punching" Danny's fist as a sign of friendship. "Although, if I had been facing him, he'd of gone down much sooner."

"Yeah, that's why you flunked the pre-placement exams," said Sam.

"Hey!" shouted Jaden, who was with his friends, who were all coming up behind Danny as Tucker steamed. "You beat Crowler! Not many people have done that!"

"Yeah, you sure live up to the Fenton name!" said Atticus, hopping up and down for no apparent reason.

"Yes, the Fentons, believing in ghosts and making fools of themselves in public," mumbled you-know-who.

"So you don't believe in ghosts?" asked Danny. "Well, if you're going to live in this town, that'll change soon, believe you me…"

"Oh, there you are!" shouted one Dr. Vellian Crowler, who had regained consciousness and was holding an ice pack on his head. "Congratulations on besting me, m'boy…it's too bad, though…"

"What is?" asked Danny.

"That I'll have to turn you in to the authorities, of course!"

Everyone gasped, except Danny, who shouted out "WHAT?"

"Counterfeiting cards is illegal, young man, and those cards you used against me were clearly not legit. Sure, they looked and acted like the real things, but they simply cannot be real cards, as I have a PhD in dueling…yet I have never heard of them! Besides that, I doubt Pegasus would base cards on some anonymous high-schoolers from a small town that only really exists because of some silly nonsense about ghosts!"

"Those cards are very much real!" yelled Danny. "Why don't you call Pegasus and ask him yourself, O great wise one!" he finished off sarcastically.

Another collective gasp. _–This kid's got some nerve!-_ thought Alexis.

"I believe I will, you smart-mouthed brat!" shouted Crowler, removing his ice pack and whipping out a cell-phone. He pressed a button, meaning Pegasus was clearly on speed-dial. Two rings later, the phone was answered.

"Hello!" said a boisterous, cheery voice on the other line. "This is the residence of Maximillion Pegasus! How have you been, Crowler-boy, hmm?"

"Fine, thank you, sir. Sir, I-"

"Been getting enough sleep? Have you been following that diet I recommended you?"

"Sir!" snapped Crowler suddenly. Then, he calmed down. "I was just in a duel with a young applicant, and I suspect that most of his cards are entirely made up, counterfeit, if you will…"

"My, that is serious…" said Pegasus, grimly. Then, his voice brightened again. "Why don't you describe the cards, and I'll see what I can or can't confirm them, hmm?"

"Well, he had a card called Ectoplasmic Energy Sample…there was a gothic girl called Sam…some kind of Dark Dragon, amulet…"

"Ah, yes!" shouted Pegasus. "Those are all real, and created especially by me!"

"Say wha?" said Crowler, as the kids around him started to snicker.

"Yes. They haven't officially been released yet, but they will be soon. I'm thinking of calling the Booster pack 'Amity's Heroes Unleashed". Nice name, am I right? Anyway, since Amity Park was the town that inspired my cards, I thought I should advance one of its citizens some of the cards!"

"But…but…" stammered Crowler, sweating. A glance over to Danny revealed a smirking young lad, the look in his eyes saying what his mouth wasn't: I told you so!

"But, why Fenton-boy?" asked Pegasus, finishing what might have been the doctor's sentence. "Well, he's very special, that lad. Let's leave it at that…oops, gotta go! See you at that charity ball!" With that, and the click of a receiver, the line went dead…

…And Dr. Vellian Crowler fainted.

"Is he okay?" asked Syrus after a few seconds of silence. Bastion bent down and began to examine Dr. Crowler. He checked his pulse…his breathing…felt his ribcage for any broken bones…lifted up the head…and smiled.

"He'll be just fine. Normally I'd suspect head trauma, but in this case, I think he's just fainted."

"Why no head trauma?" asked Jaden.

"He fell on his icepack," responded Bastion.

"Okay then, let's check out the arena!" shouted Tucker, running back toward his seat. The others followed in an effort to stop him, but to no avail, as he quickly jumped over the rail and landed somewhat gracefully on the ground below, rushing over to the giant wires and getting on one knee to examine them. As the others bent over the rail, Jazz shouted down to him.

"Tucker, what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm trying to figure out what those cables are for," responded Tucker. "They obviously don't regulate life point counts or holograms…Duel Disks do that…so, what?"

"Eh, they're probably there just for show," said Chazz, walking in with a box of Chinese food. Suddenly, Sam pulled herself up into the air, did a front flip, letting go of the rail and landing next to the African-American boy with a passion for everything electronic.

"Tucker, if we get caught down here, we're going to be in big trouble!"

"Like we are usually?"

"I'd rather not be in trouble for once, wouldn't you?" asked Sam.

"Don't hold your breath," was the sharp retort.

"That boy is going to get himself killed someday…" commented Bastion.

"If he keeps making Sam mad, make that today," responded Danny.

Suddenly, Tucker smirked. "Hey Sam…how about a duel?"

"Sweet!" shouted Jaden, plopping into the nearest seat. "A duel!"

"Aw, c'mon Jaden, do you wanna get caught or something?" lamented Sy.

"Well, if we get caught, at least we'll be watching a duel."

As Syrus sweatdropped, Alexis spoke up. "Guys, Sam hasn't even accepted yet-"

"That reminds me!" shouted Atticus. "I never got her number!"

Back in the arena, Sam looked…perplexed. "Why do you wanna duel me?" she asked.

"To prove you're not the hotshot that you think you are, giving unwanted advice and acting like some omniscient goddess of the cards!"

"When have I ever acted like that?" Sam asked, confused.

"Just 30 minutes ago, duh!" Tucker said.

"Sigh…fine, if it'll get you to shut up…could someone toss me my Duel Disk? It's in my backpack."

"I got it." Said Danny, running over to Sam's former seat and grabbing her backpack as everyone else settled in their seats. Shuffling through quickly, his eyes widened, then retreated into a "Why me?" position. "I'm pretty sure this is yours…" he grumbled, pulling out her duel disk…which caused everyone to gasp.

Her duel disk was completely black, shaped to look like a bat. Though most of it looked like the Batman signal without the yellow oval, the wings looked like real bat wings. Danny tossed it to her and sat down, and Sam easily caught it, threw it on her wrist, and activated it all in one smooth motion. Upon activation, the wings whirred and clicked together, forming into much the normal Duel Disk shape, only in the style of the old Duel Disks.

"Um…impressive…" said Tucker, sweat-dropping a bit as he pulled his own Duel Disk out of his backpack.

"How about this?" asked Sam. "You'll start with 8000 life points, and I'll start with 4000, 4 cards in my hand, 5 after my first draw. Deal?"

"That's exactly what I mean!" shouted Tucker. "You think you're so much better than everyone!"

"No I don't!" said Sam. "I'm probably only barely above average, if that much. I just happen to know that your deck stinks."

"Grr…I'm gonna…NO! 4000 each, six cards, like usual! You're going first!" Tucker shouted as he activated his Duel Disk.

"Alright, just let me switch a card in my deck with my side deck, okay?"

"Fine!" said Tucker, finishing his deck's shuffling and placing it in his Duel Disk. Sam took a card out of her deck, and then placed a card in her deck. She shuffled it and put it in her Duel Disk as well. The life points each set at 4000…the holo-imagers activated…the duel was on!

"Well, it's pretty safe to say she uses Dark monsters…Fiends, perhaps…Darkness is one of the most common types in the game," commented Bastion.

Danny felt movement near him. Glancing over to Jazz, he saw she had a notebook out and was writing something down. He looked over to see neatly scrawled words: Darkness Common…Types: Fiend, Zombie, Machine, Warrior.

"Are you…taking notes?" he asked.

"It is a great way to understand the psyche of someone who plays this game, and the mythology and legends behind the game as well. Also, if I ever change my mind about Duel Monsters, (Which really isn't likely to happen!) then I'll have something to study."

"Okay then," said Sam, drawing a card, "I'll start off simply. One monster in facedown defense mode." With that, a card appeared on the field, as per usual. "End turn."

"That's it? Pathetic!" said Tucker. "Allow me to show you a real play! I summon Guardian of the Throne Room! (1650/1600)" And a giant machine appeared. It had no legs, but treads instead. It had no visible eyes, its golden armor casting a shadow over its face. Three large missiles were on its back. "Now, my great Guardian, destroy whatever pathetic monster may be under there!" Tucker shouted.

With that, all three missiles fired, though a split second after, a hatch in the machine's back opened and three more took their place. The homing devices on their tips started blinking; intent on blasting whatever creature was under the card…the creature under the card revealed itself…

It was a long wall of some leathery substance, designed to look somewhat like bat's wings. A purple-skinned head was in the middle of the wall, red hair and scar across the eye completing the spooky picture. Suddenly the missiles stopped in midair, and an undulation spread across them as they slowly disappeared, as if they were a ripple in the water…all of a sudden, they reappeared right in front of Tucker!

KABOOOOM!

Tucker slowly looked up as his life points fell to 3800. "What happened?" asked Tucker.

"That was my Wall of Illusion, (1000/1850) whose defense was clearly stronger than your monster's attack. Oh, and by the way…any monster that battles with my Wall is returned to its owner's hand."

"Say what?" shouted Tucker, even as twisting auras of red, black and gray twisted out of the Wall's eyes, slowly causing the Guardian of the Throne Room to disappear. "Grr…fine, I'll end my turn."

"That was a good move by Sam!" shouted Atticus.

"Yeah," said Danny. "She obviously knew that Tucker couldn't resist attack what he thought must surely be a weak defense monster…but not only was the monster strong, but it had a great effect!"

"Hey, Danny?" asked Sy. "You've seen Sam duel before, right? Well, what's her strategy?"

"Hmm…" thought Danny. "Well, you're right. I've seen her duel at least a dozen times…but, I'm still not entirely sure what her strategy is…"

"Alright then," said Sam, drawing. "I'll place another monster in defense mode…and then I'll play the spell card Overprotective!" With that, a card appeared on the field. It had a Panther Warrior on it, clearly getting ready to attack a Whirlwind Prodigy…except his face, which was looking very scared, up to a Penumbral Soldier Lady, who was standing in front of the Whirlwind Prodigy, looking very angry. The Whirlwind Prodigy had straight lines for his eyes and mouth, and a sweat drop on his head.

"What does…that do?" asked Tucker, trying not to laugh at the design on the card.

"I select either the monster the face-up monster with the highest defense on my side of the field, or the face-up monster with the highest attack. You cannot attack any monsters until that one is destroyed. I choose my only face-up monster, Wall of Illusion. Then, I'll end my turn."

"Grr…" said Tucker once more; obviously angry he'd been put into this situation. He drew a card, bringing his hand up to seven. "Battle Footballer (1000/2100), in defense mode. End turn." As he said this, a robotic football player with spikes on his pads and helmet appeared.

"My turn? Okay then!" said Sam, drawing a card. "I'll Flip-Summon my Medusa Worm (500/600)!" she said, as her facedown monster revealed itself. It was a long purple worm with spikes where its head would be. Suddenly, a purple laser shot from a small hole near its bottom spike! It struck Battle Footballer, who turned to stone at its touch! Then, BF broke into a bunch of pieces! Tucker looked awestruck, so Sam started explaining. "When Medusa Worm is flipped face-up, its effect destroys one monster on the field. Now, Medusa, attack!"

"Yipe!" Tucker yelled, shortly before Medusa Worm's spikes drove through him, reducing his life points to 3300.

"Now, Medusa Worm, flip back down!" Sam shouted, and Medusa Worm did so.

"Hey, that's cheating!" Tucker shouted.

"You flaunt your ignorance. Medusa Worm can flip face-down once a turn," said Sam. "Everyone who isn't obsessed with only one type of monster knows that!"

"Shut up!" shouted Tucker, drawing a card. He looked at it and smiled. Then he grabbed a different card from his hand. "I cast Polymerization in order to fuse my Giga-Tech Wolf (1200/1400) and my Cannon Soldier (1400/1300) together in order to form my Labyrinth Tank (2400/2400)!" With that, a giant, blue-armored multi-drill (seven red drills, to be precise) appeared upon the field.

"I see. Are you going to attack with it?" commented Sam.

"I'm not stupid! I'm using it as an offensive wall. I place one card facedown and turn it over to you." So, the first facedown spell/trap appeared.

"I'd say you are pretty stupid. With Medusa Worm's effect, it won't matter how high that machine's power is." She drew her next card. "Time for me to stop going easy on you.

"She's been going easy?" shouted Syrus.

"Very much so…" said Danny, gulping a little.

"I'll summon White Magician Pikeru (1200/0) in attack mode!" Sam continued. With that, a very cute little girl in white clothing and a sheep-like hat appeared. She danced around happily a little before settling down.

"Well, that was the last thing I was expecting," said Bastion.

"Hmm…I think I see her strategy," thought Chazz out loud, before popping a piece of pork with some rice into his mouth.

"Sam, I'm not sure that belongs in a gothic girl's deck," commented Tucker.

"Stow it, techno-geek, before I make her put a whooping on you. Now, I play the spell card, Last Will!" A giant scroll appeared, and a feather dipped in ink. The feather wrote some words in a foreign text, and then disappeared. The scroll rolled up. "Now, I'll flip summon my Medusa Worm again!" Sam said.

"Falling right into my trap: Divine Wrath!" Tucker shouted, his facedown trap lifting up, even as the purple laser shot toward Labyrinth Tank. "Now, by discarding a card from my hand," and he discarded Guardian of the Throne Room, "When a monster tries to use its effect, I can negate that effect!" The laser fizzled out just inches from the Tank. "Then, I can destroy the monster!"

"Dumb move," mumbled Chazz up in the stands, even as lightning flashed and struck Medusa Worm, ironically turning it into stone.

"Falling right into _my_ trap…or should I say, my spell: Last Will! Now, I can choose one monster in my deck with an attack of 1500 or less and summon it…and I choose Bowganian (1300/1000)!" Suddenly, the scroll opened up again, and a spherical monster that was mostly an eye floated out. It had two silver arms, one holding a crossbow. "See, I knew you had that card in your deck. You may have stopped buying Booster Packs a long time ago because 'Your Deck was so _perfect',_ but you got Divine Wrath in a trade. You didn't, however, get Last Will, so I knew you wouldn't know what it did, and foolishly would probably use Divine Wrath to-"

"I GET IT!" shouted tucker. "Oh, well. It's not like you can hurt me with that Bow-whatchamacallit."

"Flaunting your ignorance for the 3rd time," Sam said, slowly shaking her head. "I play the spell card Dark Snake Syndrome!" Tucker felt something on his arm. Looking down, he saw two tattoos that looked like black snakes, one on each arm! Looking back up though, he saw Sam had them on her arms too. "It goes like this, Tucker. During my next standby phase, these snakes will start to slither. The first time they slither; my first standby phase, they will do 200 damage to each of us. The next time, 400. Then 800. Etcetera."

"Well, if I finish the duel quickly, then that won't matter!" said Tucker.

"With one card in your hand? I don't think so. I cast Dark Room of Nightmare!"

With those words, the field around Tucker and Sam became very dark, a darkness light itself couldn't penetrate. Ghosts and vile creatures unknown floated in the darkness as bloodied screams and disturbing howls that could only be demons sounded somewhere deep within the heart of the shadow. Looking around, you realized how aptly named the card was: this was definitely where nightmares came from.

"Just as I thought," said Chazz, one of the only two people in the room unfazed by the Room of Nightmare.

"W-w-w-what is it?" asked Jaden, his teeth chattering like a teenage girl cheerleader on caffeine talks.

"You'll see," said Chazz. "Mushu?" he asked Alexis.

"Y-y-y-y-your darkness d-d-d-doesn't scare me, s-s-s-Sam!" Tucker shouted, somehow believing that someone might believe him.

"Oh, doesn't it? Too bad. I end my turn with one card facedown."

Tucker drew a card. "I play Pot of Greed!" Tucker shouted, throwing the card into the Graveyard and drawing two cards. "Followed by Research on the Pot of Greed! Now I can draw two more!" And he did so. "Now, I'll summon Heavy Mech Support Platform (500/500)!" And a large ship appeared, with a cockpit in a diamond shape with a fin in the back, and two rocket boosters, one on each side, and a bridge connecting them. "Then I'll play Machine Duplication! I can choose one Machine type monster with 500 attack points or less and summon up to two more from my deck! Come on out!" The HMSP glowed a bit, and then melted into three HMSP.

"Then I cast Tribute Doll! Now I can tribute one monster and Special Summon a Level Seven monster! So, down with Mech Support and up with Launcher Spider! (2200/2500)" Even as he spoke, dark, deliberate smoke came and swallowed up #1, replacing it with a ginormous mechanical spider with an attitude. And rocket launchers. Big, dangerous, rocket launchers.

"Now for the effect of my support platforms!" Tucker continued. "They're Union monsters! By equipping one to a Machine, I can increase that machine's attack and defense by 500…so, start equipping!" Launcher spider jumped on top of #2, his rocket launchers connecting to pipes and his legs settling in hatches. His attack changed to 2700 and his defense to 3000. Labyrinth Tank flipped upside down and attached to the HMSP #3's underside. Its attack and defense changed to 2900 each. "Now, Launcher Spider might not be able to attack because of Tribute Doll's effect, but Labyrinth Tank can, and I'm getting sick of waiting around, so I don't care if it goes to the Fusion Deck, ATTACK THAT WALL NOW!"

The platform's boosters engaged, the machine thrusting forward as all seven drills spun…"I activate my trap card, Mirror Force!" Sam shouted. A mirrored wall sprung up, and Labyrinth Tank hit it, and was sent flying backwards, colliding with Launcher Spider. One large boom later, both HMSP were "dead". "You're just lucky those Union monsters were the only things destroyed," Sam said.

"I'll…end my turn…" Tucker said, stunned that his combo had failed.

Danny looked over to Jazz, who, sweating, was scribbling the last of Tucker's combo in her notebook. A small note in the margin said: Sometimes immense combos can be brought down with a single card. _–Ain't that the truth…-_ Danny thought.

Sam drew a card and added it to her hand. "Now that my draw phase is over," she said, looking up, "My standby phase begins. That means that little Pikeru here heals me of 400 life points for every monster on my side of the field, giving me 1200 life points for a total of 5200." Pikeru waved her pink magic wand around, and, along with a few sparkles, Sam gained 1200 life points. "Then, my Dark Snake Syndrome goes to work…" even as she said it, the snakes started slithering, and a light glow surrounded them. Tucker thought he felt a light pinch. When the tattoos stopped, Sam was at 5000 life points and Tucker was at 3100.

Suddenly, a black skull flew out of the shadows of nightmare…and through Tucker! "GYAAH!" he shouted as his life points fell to 2800. "What the heck was that?" he shouted.

"My Dark Room of Nightmare. Each time you take Effect Damage, it deals you 300 more points of damage. It doesn't include itself in that, thank goodness for you. Oh, and my Bowganian would like a word with you, Tucker…"

"You can't attack me!" Tucker shouted. "I have monsters on the field, and they're way stronger than that Bow-amajig!"

"Who said anything about attacking?" Sam asked. "Bowganian deals 600 points of damage to you each standby phase of mine."

"SAY WHAT NOW?" Tucker shouted, even as Bowganian shot his bow, the arrow going through Tucker and sending him to his knees, and his life points to 2200.

"Oh, and since that was a special effect…" Sam said, as Tucker started getting up. Nightmare's shadows finished for her, another ghost phasing thorough him and sending Tucker to the ground, face-first. "I end my turn with a face-down card." Sam said.

"I knew it," said Chazz, as Tucker struggled to get up. "Sam's strategy is all about healing her life points and damaging her opponents, all without ever even attacking. It was plain to see as soon as she summoned that which seemed out of place, namely White Magician Pikeru."

"Believe me, that's not her only strategy…" Danny said, foreshadowingly.

Tucker finally got up, drawing a card. "Alright," he said, a little weakly. "I can use these three cards in a nice little combo…I'll play Soul Release, which will allow me to send up to 5 cards in one of our graveyards out of play…but I only need to remove three…my Heavy Mech Support Platforms!" The "souls" of the three machines suddenly flew out of Tucker's discard slot into his removed from play slot. "Then, I play Return from the Different Dimension! Now, I can summon as many monsters of mine as possible that have been removed from play!" All three HMSP suddenly appeared back on the field. "Finally, I sacrifice two of my Support Platforms in order to summon PERFECT MACHINE KING! (2700/1500)"

As Tucker threw down the card and two of the platforms disappeared, a Megazord-lookalike in white and red appeared upon the field. "Perfect Machine King gains 500 points for every Machine on the field besides itself!" Tucker shouted. True to his word, its attack points went up to 4200! "But why don't we add 500 defense points, too? I equip Heavy Mech Support Platform to Perfect Machine King!" Although usually the machine would get on the platform, this time it was the platform attaching to the machine! The cockpit folded over PMK's chest, the back rocket launchers folded on his back, and the main rocket boosters each attached to one arm! All that, and its defense went up to 2000.

"Now, this'll cause my King to lose a few attack points…but it'll be worth it to finally get rid of your wall! Go, my Spider! Attack Wall of Illusion with Rocket Launcher Randomizer!" At its masters command, the Launcher Spider shot out 12 rockets, which exploded on contact after some random flying and acrobatics. It destroyed both the Wall of Illusion and the Overprotective card! Then, the dust suddenly halted, as if time had stopped. It then suddenly flew toward Launcher Spider, completely consuming him! Machine King's attack went down to 3700! "Now, my King, attack and destroy that White Magician with Cybernetic Crusher!"

Machine King flew forward, boosted by the…boosters. His fist started to come down…Pikeru looked very scared…WHAM…Sam now has 3500 life points. "Labyrinth Tank, attack Bowganian!" The tank slowly moved forward, drilling all the way…then there was a sickening SKREEEE-KTTTCCHHH-BZZZ as Bowganian was shredded and Sam's life points fell to 2400. "Your turn," said Tucker. "By the way, I've done the calculations, and it'll be 3 more of your turns before that Snake/Nightmare combo can finish me off…and you've only got one before my machines bring you down!"

The dark-haired raven known as Sam drew…immediately, the snake tattoos started slithering…Sam and Tucker each took 400 points of damage (Tucker thought it felt like a slap on the arm)…Tucker took 300 more as a ghostly apparition flew through him…Sam looked at her card. She smiled. "Don't feel bad, Tucker…I would've won, even if I hadn't drawn this card." Before Tucker could object, she played the card I had just drawn. "I play Dian Keto the Cure Master!"

Immediately, a green-haired sage appeared beside her, chanting some sort of spell. "This gives me 1000 extra life points!" Sam shouted, as the sage finished the spell. Immediately he disappeared as Sam's life points rose by 1000. "Then I'll cast Monster Reborn to resurrect your Giga-Tech Wolf to my side of the field!" The wolf appeared, looking much like a wolf with mechanical parts here and there.

"How will that help you?" asked Tucker. "His attack is way lower than any of my monsters, and I happen to know that he doesn't have any effect!"

"Yes, but his attack is equal to your remaining life points. I've had this card, which I transferred from my side deck, in my hand since the beginning of the duel. I didn't want to use it unless absolutely necessary. All I have to do is pay 1000 life points," she said, even as the thousand life points she got from Dian Keto disappeared. "Then I can use this: System Down!"

As the spell card appeared on the field, Tucker's machines suddenly stiffened. Then, as their eyes and cockpits and any other circuitry that was showing dimmed into darkness, they fell limp, falling into pieces on the ground and exploding. "Wha…what happened to my technology?" Tucker asked.

"My System Down card removes from play all machine-type monsters on your side of the field," she said, simply. "This is why you need to know what kind of cards are out there, Tucker. This is why you need to keep buying booster packs and changing your deck, never assuming it to be perfect. This…is fitting and ironic, isn't it? Giga-Tech Wolf, take your former master down!"

As Tucker stood in awe, the great beast ran forward at an incredible speed. He finally screamed as Giga-Tech Wolf jumped in the air, ready to strike…and disappeared. "Huh?" he asked.

"I'm not cruel." Said Sam, who had deactivated her duel disk. "I could have summoned several other monsters from your Graveyard, with more attack points. I could've let that wolf finish you off. But, I think we all know who won here." Tucker smiled.

"Great duel, guys!" shouted Jaden from up in the stands. "Hey, Tuck, keep trying, buddy! I'm sure you'll make it next year!"

"Oh…what happened?" came a voice from out in the hall.

"I'd suggest we get out of here, and fast!" shouted Atticus, leading the stampede out of the dueling arena.

MEANWHILE, AT THE STATELY PEGASUS MANSION…

Pegasus watched the group run off screen and out of the arena, chuckling to himself. _–Such an entertaining duel! Good thing I had those security cameras installed!-_ he thought. The camera zoomed in on Danny. _–Yes…like I said before, Fenton-boy really is something special.-_ Turning off the TV, he swiveled around in his chair to face his desk and picked up a magic card called Ghost Portal. There were only two in the world. Danny had one, and Pegasus had the other. As he read the text on the card, he gave a small, but truly proud smile.

_-Very special indeed…-_

**0 0 0 **_  
_

**Overprotective**

**Type:** Continuous Spell

**Attribute:-**

**Level:-**

**Atk:-**

**Def:-**

**Card Description: **See above, when it is first introduced.

Choose one face-up monster on your side of the field with either the highest attack or highest defense. If you choose the one with highest attack, that monster must be switched to attack mode if it isn't already. If you choose defense, that monster must be switched to defense mode if not already. Your opponent cannot attack any monster besides this one until this card is destroyed or the selected monster is destroyed. If the selected monster is removed from the field, destroy this card

**Research on the Pot of Greed**

**Type:** Normal Spell

**Attribute:-**

**Level:-**

**Atk:-**

**Def:-**

**Card Description: **A Pot of Greed inside a large clear container inside a laboratory. Wires with suction cups on the end are attached to it. Scientists and researchers are taking notes, readings, etc.

If you draw this card by effect of Pot of Greed, you may draw two more cards.

_Note: Research on the Pot of Greed does not belong to me. The card was first created by WolfGeneral, and has been used by several authors since.  
_

**Ghost Portal**

**Type: **Normal spell

**Attribute:-**

**Level:-**

**Atk:-**

**Def:-**

**Card Description: **In the background, a jolt of electricity running through the ghost portal, a silhouetted figure inside it. Up in the foreground, a computer panel, that says the word ON in large, green, capital letters.

Tribute one "Danny Fenton" on your side of the field to Special Summon one "Danny Phantom" to the field in Attack Mode.

**0 0 0**

So ends another chapter! Man, Sam _pulverized_ Tucker, didn't she? And Tucker's deck...was pretty lame, huh? Sure, it ogt a couple good combos off, but overall, he didn't know how to handle his own cards. As Sam said, fitting and ironic. Review Please!

EDITED 9/15/06: Made a two-letter typo that changed the entire chapter. Long story...

EDITED 9/24/06: Return from the Differnet Dimension is now offically a real card. Research on the Pot of Greed belongs to WolfGeneral.


	4. Chazz it Up! Show him no mercy!

In this chapter, chazz duels. That makes me very happy. Why? Because Chazz Princeton is my favorite character on Yu-gi-oh GX. His wit and sarcasm make up for the total childishness of the other two Slifers. Whoo boy...

Anyways, this chapter is...a little out there. What do I mean? Well, it uses some cards from Power of the Duelist...se if you can figure it out.

Plus, a certain minor character returns to duel Chazz, now that I remember to mention it. "What? There haven't been any minor characters in this fic!" you're probably thinking. Well...there's been one...**  
**

**0 0 0**

"Ah, another year of school!" shouted Jaden, stretching, happy to be back in Slifer Red.

"Yep!" said Syrus. "Just another year of looking out for cockroaches and hoping the food moves slowly enough for us to catch it!"

"Gee, I had no idea you guys had it so bad," said a voice from the door. Turning around, the two boys saw…it was Danny, in a shiny new yellow uniform! "In Ra Yellow, we get caviar and toast for breakfast! That is, if there aren't any sweet rolls left…" Seeing the drool coming down the boy's faces, Danny quickly corrected himself before their saliva stained the carpet. "Well, even so, it wasn't the best! I mean, sure, I've only had caviar twice in my lifetime, but…this honestly wasn't that good…"

"Very subtle, moron," said Chazz, coming in, dropping his bags on the floor. "It is now officially your job to contain these two imbeciles before they drown somebody with their saliva."

Danny opened his mouth to respond, when a voice came over the loudspeaker. "Chazz Princeton, please report to the Chancellor's room immediately!"

"What's this, then?" asked Syrus. Jaden continued to salivate, totally oblivious.

"They probably want to put me back in Obelisk Blue. It _is_ where I belong, after all!" said Chazz, walking out of the room. Danny and Syrus looked at each other then ran after him. Two seconds afterwards, Syrus ran back, grabbed the drooling Jaden, and started dragging him off.

**0 0 0**

Chancellor Crowler was talking with someone, when Chazz threw open the door with a BANG. "I'm here, everyone!" he shouted. "And I'm ready for you to Chazz me back up to Obelisk Blue!" he finished as the door shut back behind him.

"That's not why we called you here, Mr. Princeton," said Crowler, shaking his head.

"WHAT? How could you not send me back to Obelisk Blue? I have way more skill than any slackers and posers ever could have, and I'm rich! How much of a bribe do I have to give?" shouted him whose Native American name would be He Who Has Big Mouth Yet Little Temper.

"You see, although it is against school code, young Jeremiah here," and the good doctor indicated a youth whom he had been talking to before Chazz burst in, "Lost his placement exams, and because he got such a high score on his pre-placement exams (and the fact his parents are threatening to sue), we're giving him a second chance."

"Yeah!" said the boy, his voice cracking slightly as he spoke. "And I chose to battle you, because your stupid Ojamas are the same kind of strategy the judge I battled against used! Weak monsters with strong spell cards to back them up! That way I can prove it was just a fluke I lost to him!"

"Beating down nerds?" Chazz asked, smirking, as he ignored Jeremiah's outburst. "That's almost as good as being put back in Obelisk Blue! When can we start?"

**0 0 0**

Exactly 20 minutes later, both students were on the dueling platform, ready to throw down. "Attention, students and visitors alike!" shouted Crowler, a bit too excitedly. "We have a great match in store for you today! Jeremiah, whom you might remember, is going up against our very own Chazz Princeton! It's sure to be quite a treat, as-"

"Get on with it already!" shouted Chazz, Jeremiah, and several other people in the audience.

"Fine…" said Crowler, grumbling. "Let the match begin!"

The crowd cheered as the doctor ran off the stage, and both duelists' Duel Disks activated. Danny, feeling movement to his left, looked there to see… "Sam? Tucker Jazz? What are you guys doing here?"

"You guys may be getting down with the duelin' already," said Tucker, "But for us, school doesn't start for another two weeks. Lucky us, huh?"

"Shh!" hushed Sam, indicating Jeremiah, who had just drawn his sixth card. Jazz got out her trust notebook and, already, started taking notes.

"I had best warn you, Mr. Princeton, that whatever snobby duelist prep school you went to could not have prepared you for the monsters in my deck!" said the boy with the cracking voice. "In fact, if I may be so witty…" and here he giggled, "My monsters are completely out of this world!"

"So you use Aliens, then? Big deal," Chazz said, completely unfazed.

As Jeremiah looked a bit startled, Ojama Yellow appeared near Chazz's shoulder. "Don't worry, boss!" the small, disturbing creature said. "Aliens are easy to beat!"

"I'm not," said Chazz, barely moving his mouth. Over the summer, he had learned to stay calm (at least, on the outside) whenever an Ojama showed up, and he had learned how to make it look (to anyone observant enough to even see or hear him) like he was just thinking out loud. "And that's not necessarily true if the user knows what they're doing." He smirked. "And I guarantee you, this kid has no clue whatsoever."

"Gotcha, boss! I'll just amscray until you need me!" OY said, disappearing as Jeremiah recovered.

"Well, just because you know what I use doesn't mean you can stop me! No force on earth can stop the supreme might of the extraterrestrial! I'll just place a monster in facedown defense mode and end my turn," Jeremiah said, as the card appeared in front of him.

"That's it?" asked Chazz, drawing a card. "After that cocky speech of yours, I was expecting something…oh, I don't know…in attack mode?" He looked down to the card he'd drawn as Jeremiah struggled to come up with a retort. –_Ojama Trio? Hmm…maybe later.-_ "I'll summon X-Head Cannon (1800/1500)!" Chazz shouted, as a large machine appeared on the field, one that had two large cannons, one on each shoulder. "Attack that facedown monster!" And as a laser beam shot out of each of the cannons, the monster under the card appeared, if only for a moment…

It was a small, skeletal-like monster, with five long, limp fingers much like tentacles, big red eyes, and pointed ears. "That was my Alien Gray! (300/800)" Jeremiah said, even as the explosion rocked the arena. "When it's flipped face-up, one of your monsters gets an Alien Counter!" True to his word, a small, greenish-gray blob suddenly flew out of the smoke left from the blast and attached itself to X-Head Cannon's chest! "And do you know what happens when a monster gets an Alien Counter?"

"That monster loses 300 Attack and Defense points when it battle a monster with the word Alien in its name."

Jeremiah steamed as the audience chuckled. "Yes…but did you know that when Alien Gray goes to the graveyard by battle when its in facedown defense mode, I can draw one card?" he asked, as he drew one.

"No, and I don't care," said Chazz. "I'll end my turn with one card facedown."

Up in the stands, Danny peeked over at Jazz's notebook. On it was written…nothing so far. _–What happened to write-down- everything-that-happens Jazz?-_ he thought.

"Wow!" said Atticus, seated behind Danny, whose thoughts had just been interrupted. "Chazz is playing with that kid like a cat plays with a mouse!"

"How can you tell?" asked Alexis, as Jazz got her notebook ready.

"You didn't see? Chazz accidentally flashed his card over here! And I promise you, if he hasn't won this duel in the next four of his turns, he's just not trying!"

Jeremiah drew another card, putting his hand at seven. "I, too, will place a card facedown…" he said. Then, taking another card, he placed it in attack mode. "Then I summon Alien Hunter! (1600/800)" he shouted, as a light blue lizard-like monster appeared on the field. It had spiked, black armor and a wicked trident that looked like it could cut through steel! "Now, my Hunter, attack X-Head Cannon with Extraterrestrial Carve!" With that, the lizard ran, with surprising speed, toward the machine. X-Head lowered its turrets, but suddenly it was given a mild electric shock by the blob on its chest, lowering its turrets too far to attack and changing its stats to (1500/700)!

The great hunter gave a perfect horizontal slash through the cannon, but before the pieces had even fully separated, he started rushing towards Chazz! "My monster can attack once more in a row if he destroys a monster with an Alien Counter on it!" Jeremiah said, even as X-Head Cannon exploded and Chazz's life points fell to 3900.

Chazz let the lizard run for a few seconds before smirked again, and quietly murmured, "Fool…" Then, suddenly shouting, he indicated his facedown card and said, "I activate a trap: Magical Cylinder! Now your monster attacks you instead!" True to his word, two large cylinders appeared. The monster, unable to stop in time, dashed into one of them, then, after a few seconds, came flying out of the other! He landed on the ground, and his trident hit Jeremiah's chest, and bounced off.

"OUCH!" said the boy, his voice cracking as his life points fell to 2400. "But why didn't you use that card the first time I attacked? You could have saved your monster and 100 life points!"

"I have my reasons…" said Chazz, drawing a card. "Here's one of them! I activate a spell card! Haunt is the name, and don't you forget it! Now, I choose one monster in my graveyard and you take damage equal to half its original attack points! Of course, I only have one monster in my graveyard…so go, my X-Head Cannon's spirit!" Then, logically, X's spirit flew out of the graveyard and through Jeremiah, dealing him 900 points of damage to put him at 1500.

"Then, I'll summon Armed Dragon LV. 3 (1200/900)!" And a cute Orange and brown dragon appeared, with brown hands that looked somewhat like boxing gloves. "Then I'll cast the spell card Level Up! Now, by tributing my Armed Dragon," I can summon his older from…ARMED DRAGON LV. 5! (2400/1700)"

The cute dragon suddenly started growing and changing…boxing glove like-hands turned into real, clawed hands…orange and brown became red and black…spikes and horns sprouted…finally, with a loud roar (and some screams from a few spectators, including Jazz) the transformation was complete!

"Now, my Dragon!" Chazz shouted, "Attack that puny Alien with Seriating (A/N: sp?) Sonic Disk!" With that, the dragon bent backwards, and its stomach glowed blue…then, three large blue disks flew out…

"I activate my trap!" The young boy shouted. "Negate Attack!" The wall of light appeared, halting the Dragon's attack.

"Clever," said Chazz, probably sarcastically. "I end my turn."

The boy drew a card. "I activate Pot of Greed!" They boy shouted, drawing two cards. "Then, I play Dian Keto the Cure Master! This heals me 1000 life points!" And lo, the sage did appear, and he did heal him of life points numbering 1000, taking him to the high plains of 2500. "Then, I activate one of my personal favorite cards…a Continuous Spell Card known as Recycle and Reuse!" As he said this, a machine appeared on the field, to the right of Jeremiah. "First, I pay 500 life points," he said, now having 2000. A large number 500 appeared over the machine. "Now, I can bring a spell or trap card back from my Graveyard to my hand…and I choose Dian Keto the Cure Master!" The 500 dropped into the machine, and it started whirring and clanking!

Finally, the machine stopped, and a card moved out, slowly, on a conveyor belt, finally dropping into Jeremiah's hand. "Then, 500 more to bring back Negate Attack!" The process repeated itself, dropping his life points to 1500 again, and as the card dropped into his hand, Jeremiah pulled out the first recycled one. "Then, I play Dian Keto!" His life points went back up to 2500. "Then I place a card face down…you can probably guess what it is…" And the card appeared on the field. "Now, I would like to spend 500 more life points in order to get Dian Keto again and get the 500 back, plus 500 extra, but the creators of this card foresaw such an event, and therefore I can only get back one card one time…so I'll just take another course of action, sacrificing my Alien Hunter in order to summon Flying Saucer Muusik'i (1000/200) in attack mode!"

As the lizard-like creature disappeared, a large spacecraft appeared in the "sky" near the auditorium's roof. It was slivery, with an orange rim, and a large tower with orange cords and yellow-tinted windows. Two large orange pods, probably what kept it floating, were on the bottom of the craft. "Heh…" chuckled he whose Native American name would be Boy-Who-Cannot-Find-Puberty. "I always think it ironic that I play a card that resembles a recycling plant, followed quickly by a monster that embodies aliens attacking earth! Don't you find that ironic, Chazz?"

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" questioned Chazz, drawing a card. "I was so bored by all your talking that I dozed off for a second there." He looked at the card, then put it in his hand. "Time for you to choose either Muusik'i or Negate Attack! Armed Dragon, attack that Flying Saucer!"

The familiar disks shot out toward the saucer, but Jeremiah gestured toward the facedown card. It was, indeed, Negate Attack, so the disks just bounced off the light wall. "I'll end my turn." Said Chazz.

"Heh. You're not so tough," said Jeremiah. "No wonder you were put back into the Slifer Red dorms!" Suddenly, a small green laser shot down from Muusiki'i and hit Jeremiah's deck. "Muusik'i's effect: by skipping my draw phase when it's in attack mode, I can move one card from my deck to my hand, so long as it has Alien in its name. So now I'll sacrifice my Flying Saucer Muusik'i in order to summon Mother Alien! (2300/1500)"

And so the Saucer disappeared, but not before it shot down a tractor beam that transferred an Alien to the field. It (or, supposedly, she) looked like a skeleton, much like other aliens, but her arms looked like pink, fleshy claws. Her chest and head, though skeleton-like, were somehow thick and covered with spiky fur. She had two extra somewhat human arms, thought they were covered with bone-like material. She had two bone-like protrusions with pink feathers on her waist, and two legs with a sharp hook on the back.

"Holy Sparkman!" shouted Jaden, up in the crowd. "What is that thing!"

"I think I'm gonna be sick…" said Syrus.

"Mind if I join you?" asked Bastion.

"That doesn't look anything like any mother I've ever seen…" said Chazz, mildly disgusted himself.

"Yeah it does…" said Jeremiah. "_Your_ mother!"

"Oh!" went most of the crowd, even as Chazz looked startled.

"Now, I play Alienonic Transfer! I choose one monster in the graveyard with an Alien Counter and transfer that Alien Counter to one monster on your side of the field…and of course, I choose X-Head Cannon!" Suddenly, a blob of greenish-gray slime shot out from Chazz's graveyard and attached itself to Armed Dragon LV. 5! "Now, Alien Mother, attack with Extraterrestrial Transformation!"

Alien Mother suddenly shot out a putrid stream of black slime from her mouth, as the Dragon's attack fell to 2100 due to electric shock. The black slime completely covered the dragon, which slumped, then melted into black slime itself. Chazz's life points fell to 3700 as Jeremiah said, "Now, we enter my End Phase…and when a monster with an Alien Counter is destroyed by Alien Mother, it is resurrected to my side of the field during the End Phase!" True to his word, the black slime reformed on Jeremiah's field, the Dragon looking more skeletal and…well, Alien!

Chazz seemed stunned for…well, a while. Danny took this time to glance over to Jazz's notebook. She had sketched all the Aliens in great detail, along with notes on their abilities, and cards that worked well with them. "Considering an Alien deck, are you Jazz?"

"No!" she said, a little _too_ quickly, snapping her notebook shut and holding it close to her chest, turning away.

"Chazz Princeton!" said a voice over the intercom. "If you do not draw within ten seconds, you are considered to have forfeited!"

Chazz slowly looked up from what looked like a slump of depression…until you saw his eyes. Eyes that burned with anger and incredible power. "_You…_" he said, practically spitting out the words. "Nobody, but _nobody,_ makes fun of my mother!" He drew a card, then grabbed another from his hand. "Time to stop this little charade and _Chazz it up_! I play Pot of Greed in order to draw two more cards!" And he drew two more, his eyes barely glancing down before he continued. "Followed by Reckless Greed, in order to draw two more, but skip my next two draw phases!" And he drew, bringing his hand up to seven.

"He sure is greedy…" mumbled Jaden.

"My next card," Chazz continued, "Is Ojama Trio! Now, three Ojama tokens (1000/0)(A/N: Or is it the other way around?) are summoned to your side of the field!"

Instantly, Ojamas Yellow, Black ,and Green appeared with Jeremiah. "Hello there!" shouted Yellow.

"Who wants to shake their booty?" Black asked, shaking his own.

"Certainly!" shouted Green, as he and Yellow started shaking theirs.

"Honestly, that's more disturbing than Alien Mother," Sam commented. Everyone else nodded in agreement.

"Now, I place a card facedown…only to destroy it with Mystical Space Typhoon!" And so a giant tornado of wind and lightning came down and smote Chazz's facedown card.

"Well, that was pointless…" said Jeremiah, shielding himself from stray winds.

"Not entirely… my facedown card was Ojamagic, and when it's destroyed, I can bring Ojama Black, Yellow, and Green (0/1000 x3) to my hand!" And, only slightly suddenly, three cards slid out from Chazz's deck. "Then, Polymerization to fuse all three together to create OJAMA KING (0/3000)!"

"Thank you, thank you very much!" said the fat, speedo-wearing giant emporer.

"Then, Ojamuscle! Now, all creatures with Ojama in their name besides my king are destroyed, and my king gains 1000 for each monster destroyed."

"I'm ready for some eatin'!" shouted Mr. King, sticking out his long tongue and licking up the three Ojama Tokens. His attack went up to 3000…then, three small explosions sparked on Jeremiah, reducing his life points to 1300!

"What the heck?" went Jeremiah, his voice cracking more than usual.

"When an Ojama Token is destroyed, you take 300 damage, so you just took 1200! Now, Ojama King, attack Alien Mother with Belly Flop Drop!"

"Contact!" shouted Ojama King, leaping up in the air and doing a quarter turn. Alien Mother looked up…only to be squished flat by a gigantic stomach. Painful, huh? Anyways, Jeremiah's life points fell to 600, but before he could react to this fact…Armed Dragon LV. 5 disappeared.

"Revived monsters who are revived by Alien Mother can't survive without her, can they?" asked Chazz. Now, I play De-Fusion! This splits my Ojama King back into my three Ojamas!"

"We're back again!" shouted Yellow, descending as Ojama King glowed and disappeared.

"And better than ever!" shouted Black.

"Thanks for the revival, boss!" shouted Green.

"You're welcome…but you won't be staying long! I activate Thunder Crash, which destroys all monsters on my side of the field and inflicts 300 damage to you for each one!"

"WAIT, BOSS, NO!" shouted the Ojamas, huddling together…but to no avail, as they was hit by a giant thunderbolt, which then shot toward Jeremiah…

**BOOOOOOOOOOM!**

"Holy cow!" shouted Danny, struggling to stay in his seat.

"Bit too realistic! Bit too realistic!" Jazz shouted.

"Mommy!" shouted Syrus.

Jeremiah was now on the floor. Jeremiah began to cry as his life points fell to zero. Jeremiah had lost his last chance of getting into Duel Academy for the year.

"The winner is…Chazz Princeton!" shouted Crowler, standing up in his seat, holding a microphone in his hand. Chazz smirked, as the usual cheer went up through the stadium.

"Chazz it up! Chazz it up! Chazz it up!"

Chazz turned around to walk off the stage as the holo-imagers shut down…only to find himself in the middle of a mob of "friends".

"Great job, Chazz!" shouted Sy.

"Yeah, I knew you could do it!" said Jaden, trying to hoist up Chazz on his shoulders.

"Get off me!" Chazz shouted. "And get me off you, you idiot!"

"I gotta admit, that was pretty cool!" shouted Tucker.

Danny opened his mouth to say something…and a thin blue trail of mist blew out. Luckily, since he was far enough back inside a crowd, nobody noticed him, and he slowly backed out the door, as Atticus shouted "See, I told you! Four turns exactly!"

The cheers stopped suddenly. Everyone could feel something was out of place…something…didn't belong…a green whirlpool of ectomplasmic energy appeared under Bastion's feet! Students and visitors alike ran screaming! Bastion tied to, but it was like his feet were glued to the floor…

Then, a streak of green energy flew out of the portal, taking Bastion up into the air with it! Bastion started screaming, and students, still scared but also curious looked up…the green energy stopped, forming into a shape…

It was a green skinned woman with a ghostly tail instead of legs. Her clothes seemed to be Arabian in descent, her eyes were red, and her hair was long and black. "So," she sad, one arm holding him to her, "I hear you don't believe in ghosts!"

"I do believe in ghosts! I do believe in ghosts! PLEASE PUT ME DOWN!" Bastion shouted, hysterically and high-pitchedly.

"Like the kid said, Desiree: Put him down!"

Everyone turned towards the commanding voice coming from nearby Desiree…it was Danny Phantom, the town hero! Most people cheered. Some hissed. Very few were silent. "Alright, miss genie," he continued, "I wish you would go into this thermos!" And he pulled out the Fenton thermos.

Desiree gave an evil smirk, and nothing happened!

"Um…aren't you supposed to grant every wish you hear?" Danny asked.

"I took a self-help class," Desiree responded.

"Fine, then I guess we're doing this the old-fashioned way!"

"Wrong again," said Desiree, pushing Bastion away. He floated in the air for a second…before being encased in a green sphere of energy. He started yelling again, but no one could hear him. "Since this is Duel Academy, after all, I thought it would be appropriate for us to duel!" And green smoke floated around her wrist, around…around…around…and turned into a green duel disk! "If you win, Doubting Thomas over here is returned, safe and sound. But, if I win, he comes back to the ghost zone…and finds out firsthand what it's like to be one!

"Fine!" shouted Danny. Then, something clicked. _–Wait…if I use my deck, which is also Danny Fenton's deck, then everyone will figure out my secret…which is exactly what she wants!-_ In the real world, he gave a sheepish smile. "Um…I don't have a deck…" he said, shrugging.

Everyone in the room fell over.

Soon after they all got up, Desiree brushed herself off. "Fine!" she shouted. "Then I'll just take the boy and…"

"HOLD IT!"

Everyone looked back on the ground, where Jeremiah used to be until he had run off…standing there was Jaden, Duel Disk at the ready. "I'll duel you for him!"

There was a slight murmuring of the crowd. Desiree frowned. "I came here to duel Danny Phantom, not some high-school amateur kid!"

"What if we sweetened the deal?" asked Jaden. "If you win, you get my soul as well as Bastion's…or whatever you're wanting from us. I'm guessing soul. Is that right?"

"Hmm…" thought Desiree, tapping her chin. "Well, you are a strong young man…well built…a little naïve…but I could use a husband, and after about 1000 years, you get somewhat desperate…"

"Husband?" shouted Jaden. "You know, on second thought, maybe this isn't going to work out…"

"Too late!" interrupted Desiree, floating down, and creating a force field around the dueling arena. It was green, but it soon turned clear. Jaden looked around, then touched the nearest place where the force field was in order to check if it was still there…

…and he got a massive electric shock.

He got up, grunting. "Well, I guess we'd better get this over with…" He activated his Duel Disk. "Time to get your game on!"

**0 0 0**

Haunt Type: Normal Spell 

**Attribute:-**

**Level:-**

**Atk:-**

**Def:-**

**Card Description:** A man sitting at a desk cleaning off a bloody knife. Behind him, unnoticed by him, is a ghost, with what looks like a stab wound in its chest.

Choose a monster in your graveyard. Your opponent takes damage equal to half that monster's original attack points.

**Recycle and Reuse**

**Type:** Continous Spell

**Attribute:-**

**Level:-**

**Atk:-**

**Def:-**

**Card Description:** A giant machine, seen from a diagonal bird's eye view. Papers are moving on a conveyor belt into it, cards are coming out.

At any time, pay 500 life points in order to bring a spell or trap card back to your hand. You may only bring back one specific card once. You may, however, bring back copies of that card.

**Alienonic Transfer**

**Type:** Normal Spell

**Attribute:-**

**Level:-**

**Atk:-**

**Def:-**

**Card Description:** Alien Skull and Alien Grey working on computers. In the background, a generic human in a clear container can be seen flailing about wildly as some greenish-gray substance is oozing in the container through a pipe.

Choose one monster in you or your opponent's graveyard that, at any point, had an Alien Counter on it. Place a counter on one of your opponent's monsters.

**0 0 0**

Look's like Jaden's in a spot of trouble! Oh, and Desiree doesn't really want to make him her husband...you'll find out what's really going on next chapter. Oh, and the idea of Desiree taking a self-help class to stop granting every wish she hears comes from So Shall it Be, a fiction in the Danny Phantom section by Titan6. That's about it, at least until the inevitable editing...

EDITED 9/24/06: Already my words ring true...I made a 200 point miscalculation with the life points. Though it doesn't effect the final outcome of the duel, is does make this chapter longer than it needs to be.


	5. I call a Magical Duel! FOP Ref

Here it is, the chapter you've all been waiting for! And here I thoguht it was goingto be shorter than other chapters...until the last two turns took four pages each. Well, anyway, I'd like to thank my reviewers, which I negelcted to do last chapter...

Wolf-blades-wings: I don't think I'm going to be changing it. Seriously. It's a common literary device known as repetition. Yes, I know, it breaks the rules, but I honestly think it sounds better this way. If it's just me...too bad, I write the story. Thanks anyway!

giga-crusher: Very observant of you! Yeah, I'd have to agree that those are their Soul Cards. For a more detailed explanation of Soul Cards, visit Cyber-Commander's Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfic: Yu-gi-oh: The Thousand Year Door! It's my favorite Yu-gi-oh fanfic...

BEGIN THE CHAPTER! Althoguh I can't help feeling like I've forgotten something...

** 0 0 0  
**

"Jaden, are you sure you want to do this?" asked Danny, floating down near him (though not near enough to be shocked) as the students settled into their seats. Well, most of them. Some of the bigger ones were still trying to ram down the magic-sealed doors.

"I don't really have a choice in the matter, do I?" Jaden responded, drawing five cards. "Besides, the cards in my deck are superheroes!" he smiled. "We gotta stick together, right?"

"Heh, heh," responded Phantom, sitting on the floor. "Well, do your best. Send her packing for me."

"You may go first, human," said Desiree, drawing her five cards as the life point meters set at 4000 apiece.

"Alright, then!" shouted Jaden, drawing a card. "Sweet!" he said, looking down at it. "I summon Elemental Hero Clayman (800/2000) in defense mode!" In blast of earthy light, the defensive wall of the Elemental Heroes appeared. "Then, I'll throw down a facedown, and turn it over to you, genie-girl…or genie-ess…or…what do they call female genies?"

Desiree chose to ignore his rambling, focusing instead on formulating a strategy. _–Of course, defeating him won't be that difficult,-_ she thought, _-But even so, I'd better be careful…this is my one shot at freedom!-_ "I will also place a card facedown…and then I'll set a monster in facedown defense mode and end my turn."

"Ah, stayin' cautious, huh? That's cool," said Jaden, drawing a card.

"_Mew!" _(A/N: Let's see YOU describe that noise.)

He looked at it and smiled. "Hey, little buddy! Long time, no see!"

"_Mew!"_ it said again, indicating a card in Jaden's hand.

"You want me to play that? Okay! I'll summon Winged Kuriboh (300/200) in defense mode!" Jaden said, as the fluffy brown furball with wings that we all know and love appeared on the field. "That'll do for now. Well, that and another facedown card."

Danny finally blinked, having stared for so long, and then rubbed his eyes. _–Was that a…Winged Kuriboh? What was it doing out of the card?-_ he thought.

Desiree drew a card herself, bringing her hand back up to five. Looking at the cards she now held, she smirked. "I'll summon the Mystic Lamp (400/300) in attack mode!" It was a lamp, alright, in the style of the old Arabian lamps. However, unlike most lamps, it had strange runes, or hieroglyphs on it. "Have to stay true to your roots!" Desiree said. _–Even if you do despise them…-_ "They great thing about this monster is that it can attack you directly…so go to it, my monster! Attack that little brat with Smoking Scorch!"

"Sorry, Delilah, or whatever your name was, but I've got a trap card: Super Junior Confrontation! Now, your attack is negated, and the monster with the lowest attack points on your side of the field has to battle the lowest defense points on my side! So block that Scorch, Winged Kuriboh!"

_"Mew!"_ went Kuriboh with determination as smoke slowly rose from the "spout" of the lamp…followed closely by a column of fire!

"Where there's smoke, there's fire, as the saying goes," said Desiree, chuckling to herself as Winged Kuriboh was fried.

"Yeah, and where there's a fire, there's a firefighter!" retorted Jaden, gesturing to his facedown card. "You activated my other trap when you destroyed Winged Kuriboh: Hero Signal!" From the now face-up card, a yellow spotlight shone up onto the invisible force field. It had a styled black H in the center of it, the sign of the Elemental Heroes. "This card allows me to Special Summon a monster from my deck with Elemental Hero in its name…and I select Elemental Hero Bladedge, (2600/1800) in attack mode!" And so the monster with sharper edges than the King of Game's hairdo appeared.

"Jaden's doing pretty good so far," said Syrus, trying to calm himself down.

"Don't jinx it!" shouted Alexis.

"This match doesn't need jinxing for Jaden to lose. That monster is rarely used except in a certain strategy I've seen before, and Jaden is in for a rough time," said Bastion.

Wait, _Bastion?_

The others looked to where the source of the voice was…to see Atticus. "Was…that you?" asked Jazz.

"Yep!" said Atticus. "I just thought I'd fill in for that old party pooper Bastion for a couple seconds!"

"That was a pretty good imitation!" said Syrus.

"Thanks. I try my best," said Atticus, in a perfect match of Syrus's voice.

"Hey!" shouted Syrus.

"Shh!" said Sam, indicating Jaden, who was drawing his next card. While the commotion up here was going on, Desiree had also put a facedown spell or trap card down, as well.

"Alright!" said Jaden. "Bladedge, attack Mystic Lamp with Slice and Dice attack!" As soon as Jaden had spoken, the monster being spoken to outstretched its arms and flew straight towards the lamp…

"I activate my trap card, Shift! Now I am allowed to choose your Bladedge's target…and I choose my facedown monster!" As she spoke this, Bladedge turned slightly and continued his flight path.

"Fine by me!" said Jaden. "Go get 'em, Bladedge!" And Bladedge swooped down, intent on cutting whatever monster was underneath in half. The monster revealed itself…it was another lamp, but larger, and without runes. Bladedge struck the lamp…and bounced off flying back into Clayman! There was a loud crash, before Bladedge got up, shaking himself off. He looked behind him…and Clayman was no longer there! "What happened?" asked Jaden, more than a little confused.

"Simple," said Desiree, grinning. "That was my Ancient Lamp (900/1400), and when it is attacked while in face-down defense mode, it can switch the target back to one of your monsters! And if I'm correct, Bladedge has a trampling effect, so the difference between his attack points and Clayman's defense points…"

"…Comes out of my life points…" Jaden said, even as his meter fell to 3400.

"Yes. And, I'm not done yet! I activate my other trap, Raigeki Break! Now, by discarding a card," and she did so, "I can destroy one card on the field…so say goodbye to Bladedge!"A fierce bolt of lightning came down and fried Bladedge to a crisp! "And guess what?" she said, as her graveyard started to glow green. "The card I sent was Ectoplasmic Energy Sample, so now that it's in my graveyard, I can draw two cards!" And she did so. "Do you end your turn, Jaden?" she asked, smugly.

"Sure, but first I'll lay two cards facedown," he said.

"Good," she said, her voice like poisoned honey as she drew. "Now, for my Ancient Lamp's _other_ effect!"

"This thing has two effects?" asked Jaden fearfully.

"Mm-hmm. Now, I can Special Summon from my hand this card: La Jinn, the Mystical Genie of the Lamp (1800/1000)!" From the spout of the lamp, in typical genie fashion, came a green-skinned apparition with a wispy mustache and pointy ears. "Plus, I'll play the Continuous Spell Card 3 Wishes!"

The spell card appeared on the field, its image foreboding. "Now," said Desiree, "Don't think this card can only be used three times! But, we'll get to that later. This card can only be activated, and only stay on the field, so long as La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp is on the field. Now, once per every one of my turns, I can activate one of three effects. The first one: I gain 500 life points. The second one: I can raise La Jinn's attack points by 500 until the end of the turn. The third one: I can destroy one monster on your side of the field whose attack points are less than La Jinn's."

"That's a…pretty powerful card…" said Jaden, even more fearfully.

"Yes, it is…got it."

"Got what?"

"If I raise my genie's attack by 500," Desiree explained, "My total monsters' attack points become 3600…more than enough to finish you off! Go, my monsters! Finish him!"

The crowd went into an uproar as the Ancient Lamp rushed toward Jaden, smoke came from Mystic Lamp's spout, and electricity crackled around the genie's fingertips. All the attacks hit Jaden at the same time, the boom echoing through the arena as panic set in, and people started screaming and ramming the doors. Desiree's cackle, quite unbecoming of a girl like her, broke into the panic, casting an eerie calm over the room…except for Bastion, who was crying silently.

"Don't fret too much. I wasn't serious about making you my husband. I just wanted to scare you! Although I do owe a favor to Ember McLaine, for recommending me that class…I'm sure a hormone-driven youth like yourself would enjoy being the husband of a girl like herself…"

"Thanks, Desiree, but I don't think that's going to matter…" Jaden said, still standing, as the dust cleared…with a smile on his face? "This duel isn't over!" Sure enough, his life point reader read 300!

"What? That's impossible!" Desiree shouted. "I did NOT make a mistake in my calculations!"

"No, you didn't," agreed Jaden. "Well…you made one. You forgot to factor in my facedown card…it was a trap called Insurance! See, when it's activated, another magic or trap card on the field is returned to my hand…then, for every Insurance card in my hand, I gain 500 life points! And you can probably guess what my other facedown card was," and with this he showed her the other Insurance. "Pretty sweet, huh?

"Yes," said Desiree, a little grudgingly, "Very 'sweet' indeed…I'll end my turn, but just you wait…"

"Okay then," said Jaden, drawing a card. He looked at it, smiled, and placed it in his Duel Disk. "I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman (800/1200) in attack mode!" In a flurry of water and air, Bubbleman appeared, brandishing his Bubblegun. "And if I summon him when there are no other card on my field, I get to draw two cards! So here's one," and he drew a card. –_Sweet! Burstinatrix!- _"And here's card number two! –_Perfect!-_

"Not bad, but your life points are so low that when my genie attacks that Bubble, you will go pop!" said Desiree.

"Does everybody have to make that joke?" asked Jaden. "Anyway, I activate the spell card Mirage of Nightmare! Now, come your standby phase, I get to draw until my hand has four cards in it, but during my standby phase, I have to dump the same number of cards I drew! I'll also place two cards facedown…and then I cast Polymerization in order to fuse my Bubbleman with my Burstinatrix (1200/800) in order to create Elemental Hero Steam Healer (1800/1000!)"

The Heroine of the Elemental Heroes appeared momentarily before she and Bubbleman swirled together in the portal. Finally, they emerged as one, a giant robotic suit of armor with two large water tanks and a red and purple color design.

"Now, admittedly, my Steam Healer isn't the strongest Hero…but it has a great effect! When it destroys a monster, like that Mystic Lamp of yours, that monster's attack points are added to my life points! So go! Attack with Bubble Flare Combination!" As Jaden said this, a large gust of steam blew out, along with two or three bubbles and an occasional spark. It completely covered the Mystic Lamp, and when it disappeared, so had the Lamp itself! Jaden's life points rose to 700, while Desiree's fell to 2600."I end my turn," Jaden said.

Desiree drew a card, bringing her hand up to five. Jaden drew as well, bringing his hand up to four. Suddenly: "I activate my facedown Quickplay Spell Card, Emergency Provisions!" Jaden shouted. "Now, by sending spell and trap cards to the grave, I get 1000 life points for each one! So, I'll send Mirage of Nightmare and my facedown Insurance in order to gain 2000 life points!" And his life points rose to 2700.

"That was a pretty good move," said Jazz, up in the stands, still sweating a little. "Jaden managed to get rid of Mirage of Nightmare, plus get back up in the high life point zones."

"The question is whether he can stay there," said Alexis.

"He'd better," said Chazz, arms crossed. "If that genie beats him, I won't be able to!"

Desiree looked down at her card _–Darn,-_ she thought. _–If this were my second 3 Wishes card, I could finish him off! Oh well…-_ "I'll activate the effect of 3 Wishes that allows La Jinn to gain 500 attack points!" La Jinn's attack increased to 2300. "Attack, my genie, with Fire from the Sky!" The Mystical Genie of the Lamp raised his arms up toward the sky, and almost instantly a gigantic fireball fell from it! The fireball roasted the Elemental Hero to a crisp and reduced Jaden to 2200. Then, the Ancient Lamp rushed toward him, knocking him over and dropping his life points to 1300.

"Then I'll play Different Dimension Capsule! Now, I place a card inside the capsule, and in two turns, I get it back!" The pharaoh-tomb shaped capsule appeared, opened, accepted the card, closed, and then finally went underground. _–Good thing I played that…the card I was wanting hit nearly the bottom of my deck!- _"I'll end my turn with a facedown card." The Genie's attack fell back to 1800

Jaden slowly got up and drew. He looked down. "Alright…" he said, "I'll summon Sparkman (1600/1000) in Attack Mode!" The brains of the Elemental Heroes appeared in a flood of electricity. "Then, I'll play H-Heated Heart! Now, I select one monster, like my Sparkman, and it gets its attack increased by 500 points!" Sparkman ascended up to 2100, and then Jaden continued: "Sparkman also gets a trampling effect, too, and your genie only has 1000 defense points!"

"Too bad it's in attack mode," said Desiree, a little boredly.

"Yeah, but it won't be for long! I equip Sparkman with his Spark Blaster!" The gun that appeared in Sparkman's hand was compact and jet-black. It looked like it could do some serious damage. "This card allows me to shift the battle position of any card I choose three times…so I choose defense position for your Genie!" Immediately Sparkman shot one of his blasts from the Spark Blaster. A small bolt hit the genie, crackling electricity forcing it down into defense mode. "Now, attack!" Jaden shouted, as Sparkman shot electric power from his hand…

"I activate my trap!" Desiree shouted. "Negate attack!" The spark stopped just short of hitting the genie.

"Alright, then I'll have Sparkman use his next shot on himself!" Jaden shouted. Sparkman pointed the Spark Blaster down, shot, and crouched. "That, and I'll throw down a facedown. That'll do for now, Daisy.'

"That's Desiree," said the genie girl, drawing her next card. Looking down at it, she smiled. "And I may not know what your name is, but soon it'll be mud! I cast another 3 Wishes, and use the first one's effect to heal me 500 life points!" Energy flowed from the first card as the second appeared on the field. Desiree's life points went up to 3100! "Then I use the second in order to destroy your pathetic Sparkman! Genie, obliterate!"

"You stole that from Exodia," mumbled Jaden, even as a very large ball of water destroyed Sparkman.

"Say what you will. I switch my genie to attack mode, and do so!" shouted Desiree.

The genie created a large block of pure granite. It slowly floated over Jaden's head. Then… "I activate my facedown card: Draining Shield! Now instead of losing life points because of your attack, I gain them!" Sure enough, as the block fell, it struck a light-green force field, giving Jaden 1800 life points!

"Grr…Ancient Lamp, you attack him!" she shouted, the lamp rushing towards Jaden, knocking him over again, and totaling his life points at 2200. "I end my turn," Desiree said.

"She's got him in quite a lock," said Jazz. "No matter what he summons, Desiree destroys it with those two 3 Wishes cards of hers!"

"And most likely, she has a third one of those in her deck somewhere, too," Tucker said.

"I'm not liking the look of this," said Syrus, scared as a Kuriboh facing off against a Blue Eyes White Dragon.

"Okay, my draw!" Jaden shouted. "Not bad," he said, looking down at the card he just drew. "I cast O-Oversoul! Now I can summon any card with the words "Elemental Hero" in its name from the grave to the field, and I'll summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman in attack mode!" The card that was already used once appeared again. "And I think you remember his effect!" said Jaden, drawing two cards. The last one he drew caught his eye. _–I think I can beat her…_- he thought, a strategy forming in his head. "Okay, I summon Hero Kid (300/600) in defense mode!" Jaden shouted, as a small kid in a rocket-armor-suit appeared, doing a back flip before crouching in defense. "And when a Hero Kid is summoned, I can Special Summon up to two more form my deck! Come on out!" The other two kids appeared in midair, one doing a twirl and the other doing a dance before settling down. "Then, I play the spell card The Warrior Returning Alive! Now, I can bring back one Warrior-type monster to my hand…like Elemental Hero Clayman!" And Clayman slid out of his graveyard. "But he's going right back in the grave! I cast Polymerization to fuse my Clayman and Bubbleman together!" Bubbleman and Clayman stepped into the swirling portal, and it began to spin…"That way, I can create the Ultimate Defensive Wall of the Elemental Heroes: Elemental Hero Mudball Man! (1900/3000)"

The monster that appeared did, indeed, look like a mudball. It had giant balls fro arms and legs, slightly featured to make them look more like…well, you know. Hands and feet. "Plus," said Jaden, "If you're wanting to bring this big boy down, then you'll need to increase La Jinn's attack by 500 with one 3 Wishes, then destroy him with the other, then attack my Hero Kids, but I'll still have a monster left!"

"You've started to babble," said Desiree, drawing a card. "Now that it's been two turns, my capsule reappears, along with the card inside…" True to her word, a sarcophagus- shaped hole in the ground appeared, quickly followed by the capsule. It opened up, the card went into Desiree's hand, and it shattered. "I'll just save this for next turn…as for now, I play the spell card Graceful Charity, in order to draw three cards and discard two…" And she did so. "I then play my third 3 wishes…and use its effect, along with both the others, to destroy your annoying-at-best Hero Kids!" The genie spread his arms out…one Hero Kid turned into a cactus, one turned into a shovel, and one turned into a banana! Then, the random assortment of objects shattered. "I end my turn," said Desiree.

"Jaden is in a whole bunch of trouble," said Tucker, who was nibbling on his fingernails as Jaden drew his next card.

"Yeah…" said Alexis. "If he doesn't get something good on this draw, he's dead…and so is Bastion…"

"Just great!" shouted Chazz. "If he loses, everyone dies. If he wins, he gets all the glory. IT'S NOT FAIR!"

"My Card of Sanctity! Good thing I added it to my deck! Now we each draw until we have six cards!" And they did so. "Sweet!" shouted Jaden. "I'll throw down a facedown and cast Monster Reborn, to revive one monster from the graveyard: Winged Kuriboh!"

_"Mew!"_ sang the ball of fluff, reappearing.

"Hah! You think I don't know that thing's effect? When it's destroyed ,you don't take Battle Damage for the rest of the round!" Desiree drew a card. She looked at it, smiled for a second, and then put it in her Duel Disk. "I'll play the spell card Mystical Space Typhoon, allowing me to destroy a spell or trap…like your facedown Transcendent Wings!"

"Lucky guess," said Jaden, even as it was destroyed by a typhoon of wind and lightning.

Desiree continued. "Then I use all 3 Wishes cards to raise my genie's attack by 500 for each one…" The genie rose to 3300. "Then, I will play the spell card I searched for when I used my Different Dimension Capsule: **Magical Mayhem- Genie's Freedom!**" With that, the genie slowly retreated into his lamp, which began to glow with magical energy…shortly after he was completely inside it, the lamp began to crack!

"Oh no!" said Sam.

"What's wrong?" said Jazz.

"I'll tell you what's wrong," Atticus said, "The Magical Mayhem cards are extremely powerful, rare, and deadly. Genie's Freedom is one of the most."

As if these words were some kind of cue, the lamp burst open instantly as Atticus said those words. La Jinn appeared again, growing taller, broader, and more muscular…even though the arena was well lit, shadows seemed to alight upon his body, which had somehow grown legs. "This is the truest form of my fiend, La Jinn the Mystical Genie! (/3000) Although his defense points are always 3000, his attack points are equal to the combined attack points of the monsters used to summon him…and I can only summon him by playing Magical Mayhem- Genie's Freedom and sacrificing one La Jinn and one Ancient Lamp on the field. And at the time, their total points were 4200! (4200/3000)"

"That's way too much!" shouted Syrus, standing up in his seat.

"There's no way Jaden's gonna be able to beat that!" said Chazz.

"He will beat it!" Jazz snapped. Then, looking back, she mumbled, "He has to…"

"You know, young man, the reason I chose a Genie's Freedom deck is because that's exactly what I'm after. Freedom. After long years of my magic only being usable to serve mere mortals, I will truly be able to unleash my true cosmic powers upon the world, just as La Jinn's true might has been unleashed!"

"Um, that's great and all, but…"

"Don't interrupt, boy!" Desiree snapped. She was obviously in the middle of a rant. "The only thing I have to do to regain my freedom is bring back a soul. The more powerful, the better. Best if it is won in a duel. But I don't care about any of that. The master said I needed a soul, not a powerful one, then he would wish me free. I do not know why souls won in duels are best, though. Only the master knows."

"The master? Who is the master?" asked Jaden.

"I do not know that, either. But you need not concern yourself with that, considering you're going to be a boy toy within the next few turns! La Jinn, attack his pathetic mud-dweller with Cosmic Clash!" As Desiree finished, the genie put his hands together in one large fist, slowly moving them above his right shoulder. They separated slightly as there was a large, powerful, white glowing in between his hands, though the fingers were still touching. The energy eventually reached outside his hands, in a spherical shape, though they did not move apart anymore. Two smaller spheres appeared on either side of his hands, and started slowly moving around the large orb, causing it to look somewhat like an atom, or a planet with two moons. The chaotic genie brought the glow down slowly, the glow consuming Mudball Man…

The Amity Park Police Department reports the sound as being so loud, citizens' ears were ringing for hours, even though they could not actually hear the noise. Animals all over town seemed disgruntled and fearful for hours, covering their ears and attempting not to lose consciousness. It was to be assumed, then, that despite what was not heard, the attack made a noise.

Okay, I'm exaggerating. Sue me. What, you really thought Maximillion Pegasus was stupid enough to make a card with such disastrous results? Again, I mean…

The attack was pretty loud, though. It actually sent Jaden off his feat, even though it never struck him. When everyone got out from under their seats (except Danny Phantom, who stuck his intangible head out from under the floor), Mudball Man was gone. Absolutely vaporized. Then Jaden realized: Mudball Man's card had disappeared! _"Mew!"_ went Winged Kuriboh, appearing and pointing up to the sky. Jaden looked up…to see a card slowly floating down…he grabbed it.

"Thanks, buddy," he said.

"_Mew."_ And then it disappered. Well, its Duel Spirit disappeared back into its body…you get what I mean…

"Alright," said Jaden, putting Mudball Man in the graveyard, "My draw!" He looked down. "I'll place a card facedown and end my turn for…scratch that for a second. Why are your 3 Wishes cards still on the field? I thought they needed La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp to be here to stay around!"

"La Jinn the Mystical Genie _is _here," said Desiree, gesturing to the Mystical Genie.

"But not 'of the Lamp'." Said Jaden, having a good point.

"La Jinn has an effect. His name is treated as La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp at all times."

"Oh…" said Jaden. "I end my turn,"

"Good," said Desiree, drawing a card. "I place this card facedown," she said, the card she just drew appearing on the playing field. "I then use all three of my 3 Wishes to heal my life points…" and her life points rose all the way up to 4600! "And don't think your Kuriboh is worthy of my genie's real attack! Get rid of that little pest!"

The genie bent down, s slow, throaty chuckle emerging from where his mouth probably would be if we could see it through the shadows. He slowly bent down and flicked Kuriboh, who soared through the air for a couple feet before shattering. Jaden looked angry, even as Desiree smirked, and said, "I end my turn."

Jaden slowly reached for his deck. _–Well, you've helped Yugi Muto out a lot…so, Heart of the Cards…please guide my hand!-_ And Jaden drew. The entire school held its breath for the second time this week, as Jaden slowly lifted the card to eye level. "Okay, Desiree," Jaden said, finally getting the name right, "You've threatened my friend. You've threatened my town, and the rest of the world as well. You've endangered countless lives, and to top it all off, you've flicked my best friend Kuriboh away like he was some kind of worthless bug! That's the last straw! I'm going to stop you from hurting anyone else! The Elemental Heroes will make sure of that!"

"And just what are you going to do, little boy?" asked Desiree. "Your heroes have all been vanquished! All but two or three, anyway, and none of them are exactly useful in this situation!"

"Maybe not alone," said Jaden, grabbing a card from his hand. "But together…well, that's another story. I cast Monster Reincarnation! Now, by discarding a card from my hand, I can bring a monster back to my hand! And the monster I choose is Elemental Hero Burstinatrix!" And he did both things he'd just said. "Oh, and the card I discarded was Elemental Hero Necroshade, and when he's sent to the graveyard, I get to summon an Elemental Hero from my deck! So come on out, Elemental Hero Avian! (1000/1000)"

"You put that thing in attack mode? You're going to lose!" said Desiree.

"Not quite. I cast Polymerization to fuse my Burstinatrix with my Avian in order to summon my Elemental Hero Flame Wingman! (2100/1200) Then, I'll play the field spell Skyscraper!" From the ground suddenly burst up at least a dozen tall buildings, each with one having a giant needle on top of it, which Flame Wingman alighted upon. "The Elemental Heroes will do anything to protect the city they love! So when they attack a monster whose attack points are higher, my Heroes gain 1000 attack points!"

"Fine, you'll barely avoid getting crushed when you attack my genie. So what?"

"So I play this: Miracle Kids!" Jaden shouted, his facedown trap revealing itself. "Now, one of your monsters loses 400 attack points for every Hero Kid in my graveyard!" Suddenly, even as Desiree drew back in horror, the spirits of the three brave warrior-children flew out of Jaden's graveyard, and through the genie, reducing his points to 3000 even! "Now, even though Flame Wingman has a Superpower that lets him deal damage to you equal to a monster's attack points, that won't finish you off. Still, he can destroy that genie of yours, which is probably the focal point of your strategy. So go! Attack with Skydive Scorcher!"

Elemental Hero Flame Wingman leapt into the air, twirling once before heading into a deep dive…straight towards La Jinn! Flames surrounded him as his attack points skyrocketed to 3100! But then: "I activate my facedown card: Mirror Force! Now your attack is negated and all your monsters in attack mode are destroyed!" Indeed, the wall of light that sprung up sent Flame Wingman flying into the air, his own flame consuming him.

"It appears you've just been beaten," said Desiree. "I mean, your monster was just destroyed, you've nothing to protect yourself with…give up now, so you don't have to face my genie's direct attack!"

"This isn't over, Miss Enchantress!" Jaden shouted, holding up the last card in his hand. "It's not over until the last card is played!"

"So play your silly card! I doubt you can conjure up a miracle twice in a row!"

"Actually, that's exactly what I'm conjuring up…a miracle!" Jaden said, flipping the card around. "Miracle Fusion, that is!" Desiree gasped, apparently knowing what the card was. "Miracle Fusion lets me fuse creatures in my grave and on the field, so long as they are Elemental Heroes and are removed from play afterwards. So I'll remove Elemental Hero Flame Wingman and Elemental Hero Sparkman in order to create Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman! (2500/2100)"

"No…"said Desiree, almost silently.

"And guess what? Shining Flare Wingman gets a 300 point boost for every Elemental Hero in my graveyard! So, let's count! Clayman, Bladedge, Bubbleman, Burstinatrix, Steam Healer, Mudball Man, Necroshade, and Avian! 300 times 8 equals 2400…plus 2500 equals 4900!"

"No!" Desiree said, drawing back.

"Oh, and by the way, the name's Jaden Yuki, genie-girl, and don't you forget it!"

_-Jaden Yuki? Of course!-_ Desiree thoguht, her eye that wasn't hidden behind hair widening.

"Oh, and did I forget to mention my Wingman has the same effect as is his non-electric counterpart? So all 4900 of his attack points are aimed straight at you, even after counting out the genie! Attack with Seraphim Shine!"

Instead of flying up into the air like usual, Shining Flare Wingman spread his arms, everything below the elbows pointed up, above his shoulders. Out of his chest, a massive light started shining, the force and purity behind it affecting La Jinn before it even touched him.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" shouted Desiree, as the light ripped through La Jinn the Mystical Genie…then through the three 3 Wishes cards…then through the force field (at the top)…then through her, reducing her life points to negative 300 (even though technically the reading was 0). The force hit her so hard, in fact, that she was "ripped" into ectoplasmic shreds, which quickly vaporized!

But the light didn't stop there. It continued on and on, harming not one innocent soul (except their eyes, which were slightly blinded), but purging every trace of the evil magic from the Academy, including Bastion's force field, which of course meant he fell to the ground.

There was a short silence before everyone started to cheer. Well, almost everyone. Bastion was too busy saying "Thank you!" over and over again hysterically while hugging Jaden, Crowler was too busy peeking out of his hiding spot, and Danny Phantom had gone invisible and/or intangible.

Suddenly, Danny Fenton burst in through the door. "I fainted! What'd I miss?"

Everyone was too busy celebrating to realize: if Danny had fainted, he couldn't have gotten outside, even if someone had tried to carry him out.

"Oh, not much, just the near destruction and salvation of our school!" Tucker shouted. "But don't worry, I got it on tape for you," he lied.

"Thanks," said Danny.

Looking over at Jaden, who was on the shoulders of a massive crowd, he silently contemplated. _–How come Jaden and I were the only ones who could see that Kuriboh?- _He smiled, contemplating the weird turn his life had taken over these past few years. _–I get the feeling I'll be learning about more than dueling this year…-_

**0 0 0**

Desiree reformed inside the Ghost Zone. It was times like these that made her glad she couldn't die anymore. _–Although when the Master gets hold of me, I may wish I could…-_ As if on cue, Behemoth, a red, four-armed monster came in, and set a small microphone-like device on the air in front of her. "Um…hello?" she asked, hoping that the voice guaranteed to come out of that mike would somehow not respond.

"Did you bring me a soul?" asked the Master.

"I…no, sir. I did not," she said, reluctantly.

"I see," he said. "Well, that's a pity. Well ,you have 30 seconds to talk your way out of Behemoth eating you."

Desiree glanced up. Unlike most killer beast henchmen with bulging muscles, this one had a brain, and it had understood the Master completely. It was grinning.

Desiree quickly started speaking. After all, if you went inside Behemoth, you didn't come back, immortal or not. "It's not my fault, sir! I was up against Jaden Yuki!"

There was a long silence. Longer than 30 seconds. Desiree hoped this meant that she wasn't going to be eaten. "Fine," said the Master, finally. "You have regained your afterlife. However, you have lost my trust. It will be a long time before you go out to get any souls, and a longer time before you regain your freedom. Behemoth, come back."

And so the monster picked up the microphone and floated off, leaving Desiree alone to stew in her defeat.

**0 0 0**

Ancient Lamp 

**Type:** Spellcaster/ Effect

**Attribute: **Wind

**Level:** 3

**Atk: **900

**Def: **1400

**Card Description:** A lamp with purple smoke coming out, strange runes written on the side.

When this face-down Defense Position card is attacked by your opponent's monster, you can make 1 opponent's monster (except the attacking monster) be attacked instead. While this card is face-up on the field, you can Special Summon 1"La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp"from your hand.

Note: This card was used by Kaiba several times in the anime and, though I'm not 100 percent sure, I'm 98 percent sure that it will be a real card in the near future. If you're reading this in the near future, greetings from the past!

**3 Wishes**

**Type:** Continuous Spell

**Attribute:-**

**Level:-**

**Atk:-**

**Def:-**

**Card Description: **A human, looking startled, holding a lamp. A genie is floating in the air, his tail attached to the spout of the lamp.

This card can only be played if there is a card with the name 'La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp' on your side of the field. If, at any time, there is not a 'La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp' on your side of the field, this card is destroyed. You cannot make any Normal Summons or Sets while this card in on the field. Once every one of your turns, you may activate 1 of this card's 3 effects.

Heal yourself 500 Life Points

Raise the attack of one 'La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp' by 500 points until the end of the turn.

Destroy one monster on your opponent's side of the field with less attack points than one of your cards named 'La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp'

**Insurance**

**Type: **Trap

**Attribute:-**

**Level:-**

**Atk:-**

**Def:-**

**Card Description: **A room with infrared lasers, something valuable on a pillow inside it

When you activate this card, return one spell or trap card to your hand. Then, gain 500 life points for every 'Insurance' card in your hand.

Note: This card was originally used in the Yu-gi-oh! GX episode 'A Hassleberry Hounding'. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.

**Elemental Hero Mudball Man**

**Type:** Warrior

**Attribute: **Water OR Earth (I don't know, okay!)

**Level: **6

**Atk: **1900

**Def: **3000

**Card Description: **Mudball Man crouching in Defense Mode.

Note: This card was originally used in the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX episode 'For the Sake of Syrus'. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.

**Magical Mayhem- Genie's Freedom**

**Type: **Normal Spell

**Attribute:-**

**Level:-**

**Atk:-**

**Def:-**

**Card Description: **The same human shown on the 3 Wishes card, holding a lamp that it was crackling with purple smoke and magical energy.

You can only activate this card when there is a card named 'La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp' and a card named 'Ancient Lamp' on the field. Sacrifice both those cards in order to Special Summon one 'La Jinn the Mystical Genie' to the field.

**La Jinn the Mystical Genie**

**Type: **Fiend/ Effect

**Attribute: **Dark

**Level: **10 (Yes, 10!)

**Atk: **?

**Def: **3000

**Card Description: **La Jinn, towering high above a lot of buildings. A blimp is flyng near his head in the background.

This card cannot be Normal Summoned. This card can only be Special Summoned using the card 'Magical Mayhem- Genie's Freedom'. This card's attack is equal to the combined attack of the cards used to Special Summon it. This card's name is treated as 'La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp'.

**0 0 0**

Wow...that was long. Hope it turned out satisfying for all of you! By the way, this isthe first chapter in which none of the characters used Pot of Greed. Seriously. I dare you to find one. Also, I wasn't entirely sure about the Insurance card's episode. Please tell me if I'm wrong! I still think I'm forgetting something...oh well.

THIS SPACE NO LONGER FOR RENT. IT HAS BEEN PAID FOR BY EDITED 10-3-06: Edited 3 Wishes' effect, corrected a couple typos. Also, I put Jaden's facedown card appearing twice. I don't think anyone's noticed, but...


	6. Cybertronic Showdown!

Hello yet agin, and welcome to yet another chapter of Duel Phantom!

Alright, I'm running out of things to say. I admit it. By the way, three original characters hsow up in this chapter, but I assure you none of them are designed to take the story otu from under the REAL heroe's feet...although they will play a major part. Also, any similarities between one of the OCs and oen of the existing characters is completely coincidence...(sweatdrop).

By the way, a big "Thank you" to Gamma Bond ,for telling me whether Ritual Summmong was Special (which it is) or Normal (which it isn't) summoning.

**0 0 0**

"Oh, this is just great!" shouted Jaden. "I save the whole school from some genie-ghost-girl, and what do I get as a reward?" He walked onto the stage I front of the big screen TV in the main classroom "I have to sit through some stupid assembly… "

You see, the beginning-of-the-year school assembly was optional to come watch…unless you happened to be part of the ceremonies. Then, you had to come. "Sigh…I guess I should feel honored, but…right now, all my friends are eating lunch! And I'm starving!" Jaden continued, as the other four students on the platform slowly stepped away from him.

Jaden looked up to the crowd, where Syrus and Danny waved. "Well, almost all of them," he said. "Maybe for once I'll let them eat their soup, instead of eating it myself!" He stopped short, suddenly, putting his hand on his head. "I must be hungrier than I thought…I'm starting to go crazy!"

"Attention, everyone who came here today!" Chancellor Crowler shouted to the fourteen or so people in attendance. "Today, as we begin a new school year, we honor the five highest-ranked duelers in the school! Now, note that ranks are not everything, as even computers can make mistakes. Also note that I like big butts and I cannot lie…wait a second!" Crowler shouted, as the fourteenish students started laughing hysterically, the fourteen not counting the five students on the stage…okay, counting them too. Minus one, who was trying not to laugh. "Who wrote that on the teleprompter? I'll have their school uniform for this!"

No one fessed up to it, of course. Who would be that stupid? Although Jaden did notice the African-American kid next to him sniggered a bit longer than everybody else. "Sigh…let's move on," said the poor Chancellor, even as the teleprompter was shut off and the TV screen flashed on behind them. "Our fifth-ranked duelist is Sergeant Hassleberry!" As Crowler said this, a boy walked to the front of the stage. He was dressed in a Ra Yellow jacket-uniform, but the sleeves had been torn off. His body was tan and muscular, his eyes were brown, and his hair was dark and styled into three individual braids. He had a bandana on his head, also yellow, and custom-made to look like a Tyrannosaurus's head.

He smiled and waved to the crowd. "Howdy!" he said, even as the screen behind him lit up, three smaller screens appearing inside of it. One screen showed a Tyranno Infinity attacking a Giant Rat and decreasing some opponent of Hassleberry's to zero. Another showed the Sarge activating a trap called Jurassic Blast. The last one showed an Archaeonix attacking an opponent directly, despite there being two monsters on the field in front of the opponent. "I'm the best there is! My Cretaceous creatures, my dino destroyers, my titanic troops never accept surrender, and never surrender themselves! They'll beat you down in two turns or less, or my name's not Sergeant Hassleberry!"

After he said this, he backed off. Crowler continued as the African-American Jaden heard sniggering stepped up front. "Our fourth-ranked duelist is Marco Jordan!"

"Yo!" said Marco, even as the three screens appeared again. One showed him tributing a Blast Juggler in order to destroy a Rainbow Flower and a Jinzo #7. Another one showed him playing Monster Reborn to bring back a Mechanical Hound. The final one showed him…using Steam Gyroid and Limiter Removal in order to destroy a Neo Aqua Madoor!

"Hey!" said Syrus. "Vehicroids are my things!"

Marco chose to ignore the outburst. "Despite what the card says, I'm the true Machine King! I'm the master of everything electronic! If it's got wires and circuits, I can probably hack it, so if you make me angry, either my monsters will crush you flat…or your PDA won't be a PDA no more."

As Marco stepped back, Jaden got a good look at him. He had short, black hair, in much the shape of his head. His eyes were a bright blue, in contrast to his dark-chocolate skin. His Ra Yellow Uniform almost looked out of place on him. He walked confidently, almost cockily, much like his talk.

"Thank you, Marco," said Crowler. "It appears we have a strong suspect for the hacking of the teleprompter…" Marco put on his best "Hey, I don't know what you talkin' 'bout, teach!" face, even as Crowler announced who the third-ranked duelist was: "Maria Hamilton!"

"Hey!" said the girl, walking up. Her voice was naturally perky. "How ya'll doin'?" Her tan was even darker than Hassleberry's, if that was possible, but even so, you could tell she was Caucasian. She had dark hair and brown eyes. He hair fit around her head like Marco's, but it also had a small ponytail in the back, near the base of the neck. She had a small touch of red lipstick on her mouth. Her shirt was white, and she had a black skirt that reached just past her knees. She had a red jacket on, to show she was Slifer Red.

"Now, my personality may be sweet, but if we get in a duel, you had best watch out, because my Amazons are ready to kick your butt!" she shouted as the three screens appeared behind her. One was Amazoness Archer, getting ready to shoot some poor kid for 2400 damage after four Scapegoats were sacrificed. Another was Amazoness Fighter, kneeing a poorer kid in the groin. The last was Amazoness Paladin, getting 300 extra attack points due to there being two unseen other Amazons on the field.

"You know, Miss Hamilton," said Crowler, "you look a lot like an Amazon yourself!"

"Thank you, Chancellor Crowler," Maria said, bowing. She walked back, and Crowler began to speak again.

"Our second-in-line for the dueling throne is Jerred Hawthorn!" The boy that stepped up was tall, at least six feet, probably a senior. His Obelisk Blue uniform's tail flared out at the back, and his hair, white as snow, reached his waist. His eyes were a dull gray, almost white. You could almost say he looked royal as he stood there, only giving a slight nod before turning and walking away. As he walked, the three scenes were of a small fairy being sacrificed for The Agent of Judgment- Saturn, some type of gelatinous ball, and a field card called Sanctuary in the Sky being activated.

"And our resident Kaiser is Jaden Yuki, proving that these ranks are not based on grades!" said Crowler.

Jaden walked up, saluted with two fingers, and said "Alright, duel academy, you'd best get your game on!" As he said this, the three screens showed Sparkman beating down a Goblin Attack Force in defense mode, Hero Signal being activated, and Winged Kuriboh Level 10 reflecting XYZ Dragon Cannon's attack. "I'm Jaden Yuki, and I'm gonna be the next King of Games!"

"Yeah, right," mumbled Marco under his breath.

"HEY!" shouted a voice near the stage's stairs. They all looked to see Syrus, breathing heavily. "You can't…use…Vehicroids…that's…my thing! And I ran…all the way…around to…the…other door in order to…defend that right!" Each "…" represents a pause for several breaths, by the way.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Truesdale," said Crowler, a bit angrily, "But you aren't allowed up here at the moment…security!"

"Hold it!" said Marco, stepping forward. "Let the boy talk…"

"I'm sorry?" asked Dr. Crowler.

"You heard me. C'mon, teach, can't you bend one little harmless rule for the fourth-best duelist in this school?"

"Oh, fine," said Crowler, backing off as Marco bent down.

"So, little man, what you got to say?"

"I'm not little!" shouted Syrus. "Sure, I'm short, but that doesn't mean I'm little…wait, that doesn't make sense…what I mean to say is…I may get scared often, but when it comes to my Vehicroids…no, wait…um…"

"You gonna challenge me or not?" asked Marco.

"Huh?" said Syrus, startled.

"That's right, little boy. A duel. That's what you came up for, right?"

"Um…yeah!" said Syrus, standing up straight.

"Then be at the dueling arena tomorrow, 10 AM sharp! Whoever wins gets to keep their precious Vehicroids…and considering I'm in the top five and you're in the top 100, I'd suggest you find a new theme."

With that, he walked off the stage, grinning smugly the whole time.

"Alright, Sy!" shouted Jaden. "Your first duel of the year!"

"Yeah…" said Syrus, trying to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat when Marco said the word 'duel'.

**0 0 0**

**8 hours later, 10 PM**

**0 0 0 **

"Sigh…" sighed Syrus, sitting on a cliff overlooking a sea.

"Hey, Sy!" said a voice from behind him.

Syrus turned. "Hey, Jaden," he said.

"What's going on, buddy?" asked Jaden.

"Oh, nothing…"

"Don't bother. You're feeling scared, I can tell."

"Yeah, you're right…I kind of used up all my courage just getting to the stage…" Syrus said. "I don't think I can beat this guy…he's right. He's number four…and I'm number 98!"

"Actually, Steve Hoy dropped out, so you're number 97 now."

"Oh yeah, that helps _so_ much," said Syrus sarcastically.

"Don't worry, Sy," said Jaden. "The odds may be against you, but you've got something he doesn't!"

"Dashing good looks?" asked Syrus.

"No," said Jaden. "You've got friends cheering you on!"

There was a long, long silence.

"Have you been eating paste, Jaden?" asked Syrus.

"Huh?"

"That was sudsier than your average soap opera."

"Sudsier?"

"Like cheesy. You know, they're always cheesy on _soap_ operas?"

"Oh I get it," said Jaden.

"Yeah…" said Syrus. "The point is, I don't stand a chance!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Sy!" said Jaden, pulling him into a brotherly headlock and giving him a brotherly noogie. "Everyone's coming to see you duel tomorrow!"

"That's great, Jae…please let me go…"

**0 0 0**

The next day, 9:54 AM 

**0 0 0**

The auditorium contained easily quadruple the number of people the assembly had. This made Syrus more than a little nervous. _–After all,-_ he thought, _-I'm going up against a guy who is only second to my brother when it comes to machines! Maybe I'd just better quit…-_

"Hey, there Syrus!" said Sam, coming inside one wing of the dueling arena.

"Oh…hey Sam…" said Syrus.

"What's wrong?" the gothic vegan asked, concernedly.

"Oh, nothing unusual…I'm just scared out of my wits is all…"

"Of Marco? He's a moron," said Sam.

"Yeah, but he's a moron with power!" said Syrus. "I don't know…I'm gonna forfeit, find a new deck theme…I hear Fire is in this year…" He began to walk out to the arena early, set on throwing the match…

…When a hand landed on his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. "Woah, there, slugger!" Sam said, turning him around. "You're better than he is!"

"No I'm not! He's number-"

"Forget about numbers!" shouted Sam. "Just keep telling yourself: you're better than he is! You're better than he'll ever be! It's the power of positive thinking," and she smiled. "You can do it."

Syrus took a few deep breaths. "Okay…I can do it…I can do it…I can do it…"

"Attention, students!" shouted Crowler from the arena. "Our match is about to begin!"

"I can't do it!" Syrus shouted, waterfalls coming from his eyes. Sam sighed, and began to push him out there…

**0 0 0**

"Hey, Sam!" said Danny, as his love interest (Come on, you can't deny it! Though they probably could…) sat down next to him. "Where you been?" he asked, as Tucker fumed about "some geek-a-zoid copying my deck!" and Jazz got out her handy-dandy notebook.

"Just helping somebody get a little courage," she answered, as Syrus and Marco walked onto the dueling arena, shuffling their cards.

Down on the dueling arena, Marco smiled as the life point meters set to 4000 each and they both put in their decks. "You know," he said, "Your brother's got a nickname on the pro dueling circuit. They call him The Mechanic, so I guess that'd make you The Mechanic's Apprentice, huh?"

"Uh…yeah, I guess…" said Syrus, as they drew their cards.

Marco suddenly smiled. "Well, then you should give a good duel to your opponents." Then, just as suddenly, he frowned. "You should…but you don't. Seriously, man, you can do way better than near-to-last place on the board! Your monsters can be extremely powerful, especially if used right…and they should be used right in the hands of a master!"

"So why are they not being used right, Syrus?"

Syrus drew back, startled. This guy…his _opponent_…believed in him. There were only a handful of people who did that. Everyone else thought he was…Zane's little brother. Nothing more, nothing less, and definitely not The Mechanic's Apprentice.

"I'll go first!" said Marco, drawing a card. He looked at it for a second, before he said: "I'll summon Gyroid (1000/1000) in defense mode!" The card that appeared looked like a little blue helicopter with a face and arms. "And I think you know its effect, but I'll tell you anyway, for the sake of our crowd! Basically, this little guy has to be attacked twice in one round in order to be destroyed."

The crowd murmured and, without a word, Jazz began to write in her notebook, s obviously that Danny wasn't the only one to look over. Basically, she'd written down Gyroid's name, drawn it's card, written its attack, defense points, and effect, and written Mataza the Zapper in the margin near all that…within the course of twelve seconds.

"If that made you guys murmur," said Marco, taking another card form his hand, "This really will! I'll activate this: my Peace Offering card!" Marco shouted, playing the spell. Its image was Mystical elf, holding a basket with various fruits inside it.

_-Ho boy,- _thought Syrus. _–Despite the name, that can't be good…-_

"This card lets me tae a card in my hand and put it randomly in your deck without you seeing it!" shouted Marco. True to his prediction, the audience did murmur, as he walked over with a card from his hand separated from the rest.

_-On second thought, it might be,-_ thought Syrus, even as Marco put the card in Syrus's deck.

Upstands, Bastion did not share the same sentiments. "That card is probably a bomb, metaphorically of course," he said, being all too right, as you'll see later.

"Well…Syrus still has to choose to use it, right? So...it can't be all bad!" Jaden said.

Marco had just gotten back to his side of the field, only stopping to give Gyroid a high-five. "I'll end my turn with a facedown card."

Syrus drew. "Not much to go on…" he said. "Oh, wait, I didn't mean to say that out loud!"

"S'okay. I'll pretend I didn't hear it," Marco replied.

In the stands across from Jaden and his crew sat Danny and his crew. "I take back what I said," Sam said softly (try saying that three times fast!). "He's not a moron or a jerk."

"You also called him arrogant," said Tucker.

"I know," said Sam.

"Okay…" said Syrus, "I'll summon Patroid (1200/1200) in, uh, attack mode!" The card that appeared looked like a comical police car with arms, legs, and a face. "And his effect says that I can look at one facedown card a turn…spell or trap, I mean…so, please show me that card!" And Patroid blew his whistle, the sound waves forcing the card upwards.

"Disgraceful Charity?" asked Syrus. "I've never heard of that…"

"Yeah, you will my next turn," said Marco. "You gonna attack, or what?"

"That would be pointless, since Gyroid needs to be attacked twice!" said Syrus. "I end my turn!"

"Fine," said Marco, drawing. "I play my spell card Graceful Charity, which means I draw three cards and discard two!" And the angel on the card appeared, dove into his deck, dove out with three cards. He picked one at random and, without even looking at the cards, gave the other two back.

"Um, wasn't that kind of…"

"Stupid?" asked Marco before Syrus could finish. "Not really, since I play my Disgraceful Charity Trap! Now, all cards discarded until the end of this turn come back to us…so I get the cards I discarded right back!" Instantly, Marie the Fallen One flew out of the card, zapped both their graveyards, and disappeared. Marco's two cards came back. "Therefore, it didn't matter which two cards I gave my angel here!"

"Oh…great…" mumbled Syrus, downcast.

"Then I'll summon Cycroid (800/1000), in attack mode!" The monster that appeared was like a little red bicycle, but with an eye where his head lamp would be. "But he won't be staying for long, because I play Failed Connection!" Suddenly, the two Vehicroids on his field fell apart!

"What happened?" asked Syrus, confused as the rest of the audience.

"Hold on just a second…now!" Marco shouted, suddenly. As he shouted, some of the parts flew into the air! They circled around for a while before combining in a flash of light!

The monster that appeared looked like a Cycroid with propellers for its handlebars and its back wheel extended outwards like a rotary blade! "You see, a failed connection is when you put two machines together that just weren't meant to be put together…like a cell phone and a VCR. Similarly, the Failed Connection spell card allows me to fuse two Machine-type monsters together, but they'll be destroyed at the end of the turn. On the other hand, its attack points are the combined attack points of the monsters used to summon it, and the same with its defense points!" True to his word, the monster's stats were (1800/2000)…and it was in attack mode. "Go, my monster, or as I like to call it, Cy-Gyroid, attack with Handlebar Blades! Your target is Patroid!" Instantly, the weird monster rushed forward…slicing Patroid in half with its whirring blades! Syrus's life points dropped to 3400. "I'll end my turn…now!" Instantly, Cy-Gyroid shattered into pixels!

Syrus bit his lip as he drew his next card. "I'll summon Jetroid (1200/1800) in attack mode!" Syrus shouted. "Attack him directly!" Instantly, Jetroid shot out 2 missles, which flew straight into Marco's chest and exploded!

"Gah…" said Marco as his life points fell to 2800. "Not too bad…" Then he drew. "I'll summon Steamroid (1800/1800) in attack mode!" Instantly, the little train appeared. "Then, I'll attack your Jetroid! And don't forget, my Steamroid gains 500 attack points when it attacks!" And Steamroid's attack rose to 2300! It shot forward toward Jetroid, suddenly stopping and blowing off so much steam that Jetroid went flying backwards, then shattered into pixels! Syrus's life points dove to 2300. "I'll end my turn," said Marco.

Syrus drew…he looked at his cards. "Come on…something…I can't think straight….is it getting hot in here or what?"

Up in the stands, the outlook was grim. "Syrus is panicking," said Alexis. "Surely he's got at least one good card in his hand!"

"Typical Syrus," said Chazz. "He's gonna lose…big time!"

"No he's not!" shouted Jaden, suddenly.

"I'm sorry, Jaden, but Syrus just isn't doing his best…" said Alexis, sadly.

Back on the field, Syrus's breathing had become heavy and labored. He was holding his head like a mole had dug into it. "Calm down, Sy!" shouted Marco, suddenly. "It's not like we're fighting for your life!"

"The Vehicroids are my life!" said Syrus, tears starting to form in his eyes. There were a few seconds where the only noise in the room was Syrus, starting to sob.

"So why aren't you fighting harder?" asked Marco, gently.

That seemed to snap Syrus back to reality. Instantly, he stopped sobbing, the tears un-formed, and a look of determination came over his face. "Alright…I'll summon Submarineroid (800/1800) in attack mode!" Like the other Vehicorids, this one had goofy, yet determined eyes, and dull-brown arms with white gloves. It did not, however, have a mouth. "This monster can attack your life points directly! So, go, my Vehicroid! Submerge!" And as he said this, Submarineroid dove underground, traveling toward Marco like it was underwater instead of under metal! It rammed into Marco's foot, sending him hopping and reducing his life points to 2000!

"Ow! Ow!" said Marco, oddly calm for someone who had just been attacked by a cartoon.

"Plus," said Syrus, "Submarineroid can switch into defense mode after he attacks!" And he was right, as the Roid crouched down, and least as much as it could, considering it didn't have legs.

"Fine!" said Marco, drawing a card. He looked down at his hand of four. "Hmm…" he said. "I'll guess I'll just have my Steamroid attack your Submarineroid!" The Steamroid's attack rose to 2300, and it drove toward Submarineroid…

"Hold on a second!" said Syrus. "I'll activate a trap: Castle Walls!" With this, his facedown card lifted, and, appropriately, Castle Walls surrounded Submarineroid. "This increases one of my monster's defense by 500, meaning that their scores are equal now!" Sure enough, Submarineroid's defense rose to 2300! Steamroid crashed into the Castle's Wall and was sent flying back! Submarineroid chuckled as Steamroid fumed.

"Fine, I'll end my turn," said Marco.

Syrus drew a card as the Castle Walls crumbled. "I'll summon my own Steamroid in attack mode!" said Syrus. Instantly, a mirror image of Marco's monster appeared on the field!

"Hold it!" shouted Marco. "I'm activating my trap, Just Desserts! Now you take 500 damage for every monster on your side of the field!" True to his word, two ghostly hands came out and started…tickling Syrus?

"Heh heh…hah ha ha! Cut it out!" shouted Sy, as his life points fell to 1300. "Phew…" he said, as the hands retreated. "I'll have my Steamroid attack yours! And since it _loses_ 500 attack points when it's being attacked, you're pretty close to being done! Attack, my ultimate engine that could!" Marco's Steamroid fell to 1300 attack, but Syrus's rose to 2300! They rushed toward each other, and collided in a giant explosion of smoke and sparks! Marco's life points fell to 1000 even. "Then, Submarineroid will attack too!" And the Submarine shot out a torpedo from its belly! It hit Marco and reduced his life points to a measly 200! "I'll end my turn with one card facedown!" Syrus said.

"Alright, enough games!" said Marco, drawing. "I'll summon my X-Head Cannon (1800/1500) in attack mode!" The monster he summoned was yellow and purple, but it looked…incomplete, somehow. The bottom half of it looked more like a connector to another machine. "And I'll have it attack your Steamroid!" As Steamroid's attack fell to 1300, the cannon shot its mighty blast! Steamroid was completely vaporized, and Syrus took 500 points of damage, landing him at 800! "Then I'll end my turn!"

Syrus drew a card. _–Five cards in my hand, and so little I can use!-_ he thought. "I'll place a card facedown and end my turn." _–After all, his facedown card is probably something that could really hurt me if I attack,-_ Syrus thought.

Marco drew a card, bringing his hand up to five…and smiled. "I play this: Z-Metal Tank (1500/1300) in attack mode!"

Up in the stands, Chazz and Tucker were both getting _very_ angry…

"That little geek is trying to steal my cards!" shouted Chazz.

"Easy, Chazz!" said Jaden, who, along with the others, was trying to hold him down.

"Yeah!" said Atticus. "He's not copying you…lots of people use those cards!"

"I DON'T CARE!" Chazz shouted.

"I'm the cool kid with the machine-type monsters, not him!" shouted Tucker.

"Easy, Tucker!" shouted Sam, who normally would make some truthful crack about how Tucker wasn't cool at all, but could see now wasn't a good time.

"Yeah! So you're not the only techno-geek in town!" said Jazz. "It's not too big a deal…"

"I DON'T CARE!" shouted Tucker, angrily.

Back on the field, Marco was grinning. "Now I can equip my X-Head Cannon with my Z-Metal Tank in order for X to gain 600 attack and defense points!" Sure enough, as X-Head Cannon settled down on top of Z-Metal Tank, its stats changed to (2400/2100)! "Now, attack that puny Submarineroid!" shouted Marco.

"I activate Negate Attack!" shouted Syrus. The wall of light sprung up and stopped X's attack.

"Okay, then I'll end my turn with one card facedown."

Syrus drew. "I play Pot of Greed, in order to draw two more cards!" and he did so. He looked at them. _–Dian Keto and…huh? This must be the card he put in my deck with Peace Offering! But…if I use this, I could cripple him! Well, I' best take advantage of this…but first…-_ "I'll play Dian Keto the Cure Master in order to regain 1000 life points!" Syrus's life points rose to 1800. "But then I'll sacrifice the life points I just regained in order to play System Down!" Suddenly, the two monsters on Marco's side of the field went limp, lights and circuits shutting down. They crumbled into pieces. "Now all your machine-type monsters on the field are removed from play!" shouted Syrus.

Marco took the cards and put them in his back pocket, his mouth a grim line of determination…but inside, he was smiling. "That your turn?"

"Nope!" said Syrus. "I sacrifice my Submarineroid," and the underwater exploration device exploded, "In order to summon UFOroid (1200/1200)!" The creature that appeared looked like a small, friendly UFO with a cute face. "Attack him directly and finish this duel!"

"Not so fast!" shouted Marco. "I play my own Negate Attack!" UFOroid crashed into the wall and was sent bouncing back, dizzy.

"Darn…" said Syrus. "I guess I'll jsut… cast Book of Moon, allowing me to switch one monster from face up attack mode to facedown defense mode!" he shouted, and UFOroid switched down. "Then I'll set one card facedown and end my turn." _–My Magical Cylinder should finish him off!- _Sy thought.

"Syrus has really turned this duel around!" remarked Alexis.

"He sure has!" said Jaden.

"Go, Syrus!" said Atticus.

"Beat down that loser copycat!" shouted Chazz.

Marco drew a card, bringing his hand up to four again. He smiled broadly…then, he said this: "I'll activate my own Pot of Greed!" And he drew two cards. "Then, I'll activate the spell card Perpetual Motion Machine!" he shouted, as a small vase-like machine appeared on the field. It was a dull white, with three gears on its front, arranged so that they would spin, but without anything to spin them! "You see," said Marco, "A perpetual motion machine is a machine believed by scientists to be impossible…and this card lets me do something that's nearly impossible: summon monsters that have been removed from play!"

"No way!" shouted Syrus, even as the crowd murmured again. _–I fell right into his trap…-_

"Of course," said Marco, "They have to be Machine's with 2000 attack or less, each, but hey, that's no problem! Get out here, guys!" The small machine's gears began to spin wildly for no apparent reason, and X-Head Cannon and Z-Metal Tank appeared on the field again! "Next, I'll summon Y-Dragon Head (1500/1600) in attack mode!" And the third piece of the puzzle appeared.

"Oh, no…" said Syrus, quietly.

"Now, I can remove all three of my monsters from play I norder to summon XYZ DRAGON CANNON!" Marco shouted, as the three machines began to join together…Y-Dragon Head folded up its wings and drew in its head, as a hatch opened up on its back…X-Head Cannon settled into the hatch, quite comfortably…a hatch opened up on the back of Z-Metal Tank, and Y-Dragon head put itself inside the hatch, crouching down…

The XYZ Dragon Cannon had formed! (2400/2100)

"Oh, no!" shouted Syrus, crouching into a ball.

"Oh, yes!" shouted Marco. "And now, by discarding a card, I can destroy a card on your side of the field…so I'll discard the rest of my hand in order to destroy your entire field!" The XYZ Dragon Cannon fired a massive blast, vaporizing Syrus's field!

_-Oh, man!- _thought Syrus, crouching into a ball. _–UFOroid's effect only activates if it's destroyed in battle, not by effect…wait a second!- _He suddenly looked up. _–That' it!-_ he thought, standing up.

"Now, my Ultimate Monster!" shouted Marco, "Attack Syrus directly! Fission Blast!"

The Dragon Cannon charged up its massive blast…

"Hold it, Marco!" said Syrus. "One of the cards you destroyed was Wonder Garage!" and he held it up. "And when it is set and sent to the graveyard, its effect activates, allowing me to summon a Level 4 or lower Vehicroid from my hand…like my Decoyroid, (300/500) in defense mode!"

"Fine, then my XYZ Dragon Cannon will attack that!" Marco shuted, and the Dragon Cannon launched its attack, hitting the target dead-on and sending Decoyoid to the graveyard! "I end my turn!"

_-Ho boy,- _thought Syrus. _–This had better be a good card…-_ and he drew. He looked at it. _–Hey…this is the card Maria gave to me!-_

FLASHBACK…

_"Oh man…" said Syrus._

_Sam had managed to push him halfway ot the stage before he'd promised to go out himself. That didn't mean he was confident now, though. In fact, just the opposite._

_"What am I gonna do?" he asked nobody in particular. _

_"You could always do what I do," said a voice behind him. Syrus turned…and standing there was Maria Hamilton!_

_"Hey, Maria," Syrus said, a little distracted. Suddenly, he realized what Maria had said. "Wait…you mean you get scared?"_

_"Oh, yeah, like a ton!" she said. "Even the Amazons get scared. But that doesn't mean they aren't brave! No, being brave is when you're scared, but face up to your fears anyway! That's what I always do!"_

_"Yeah, pretty words, Maria…" _

_Miss Hamilton frowned. The, she smiled. It was a gentle smile, full of happiness. She pulled a card out of her deck. "Here, take this…I have an extra copy."_

_Syrus took the card. "Wow…nice effect…" he said. _

_"Mm-hmm," replied Maria. "See, she goes up against the biggest of monsters and the baddest of creatures because she knows that, even thoguh she's scared, and she'll probably get a little hurt, she and, more importantly, the rest of the Amazons will come out on top." She slowly ogt up form her kneeling position (so she could be eye-level with Syrus), and walked off. Syrus looked after her for a while…and then added the card to his deck. _

END FLASHBCK…

_-Yeah…- _he thought. _–I've got to be brave!- _ He looked up to Maria, sitting up high in the stands, who slowly smiled, then nodded. _–Even though I'm scared…-_ "I'll summon Amazoness Swords Woman (1500/1600) in attack mode!" he shouted, as a tanned, young woman appeared on the field. She had long, wild red hair, a blue bikini top, and a blue, tattered skirt. She carried a wicked sword.

"That's not a Vehicroid!" said Marco, more than a little surprised.

"Yeah, but she was given to me…by a friend. Attack his XYZ Dragon Cannon, Swords Woman!"

To most of the crowd's surprise, Swords Woman leapt up, intent on striking the Dragon Cannon, which was startled for a second, but then quickly shot its Fission Blast, vaporizing her! "Heh…" said Marco. "Guess he wanted to go out with a bang…"

"Oh yeah , there'll be a bang!" said Syrus. "But it'll be you going out! You see, when my Swords Woman battles, _you _take all the battle damage I would've taken!"

"WHAT?" shouted Marco, even as his life points drained to zero and the crowd started cheering and the holograms disappeared. He looked down to his Duel Disk in shock as Syrus raised his hands into the air and the crowd started cheering.

"The winner is Syrus Truesdale!" shouted Dr. Crowler into the microphone. "And, since Marco was worth 45 rank points, Syrus moves up to rank number 85!" And the crowd cheered again…except numbers 96 through former number 85. Marco finally came out of his shock, and smiled.

_-Well done, Mechanic's Apprentice…-_ he thought.

"Hey, Marco?"

"Huh?" asked Marco, as Syrus walked over.

"Nice game," said Syrus. "You can use Vehicroids if you really want."

"Thanks, but no thanks," said Marco. "At least, not very often. They're just not my real style. I only used them the time you saw on the screens!"

"But…why didn't…"

"Why didn't I tell you?" said Marco, finishng Sy's sentence. "Well ,if I'd told you, you wouldn't have dueled me, would you? And you wouldn't have gotten oyur courage, would you?"

Syrus smiled, looking up to where Maria was. _–No…- _he thought. _–I wouldn't have gotten my courage…or rank number 85…or a new friend. Make that two new friends! The only way this day could be ore perfect…is if lunch is edible. Yeah, right…-_

**0 0 0**

Meanwhile, in a stereotypically dark and spooky lair, a stereotypically wvil figure sat on a stereotypical throne looking into a stereotypical crystal ball. "The young one is powerful, but only when he has courage…" said the Master, behemoth growling in agreement. "If put in a situation without the help of his friends, he cannot function properly in a duel…" The figure smiled. "This proves quite interesting…"

**0 0 0**

Disgraceful Charity 

**Type: **Spell/Quickplay

**Attribute:-**

**Level:-**

**Atk:-**

**Def:-**

**Card Description:** Marie the Fallen one, a card levitating in between her hands.

Each player returns to his or her hand all cards that were discarded from their hands to the Graveyard by card effects during the current turn.

_Note: This card was originally used in the multi-part episode 'Clash in the Coliseum'. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode. _

Failed Connection 

**Type: **Normal Spell

**Attribute:-**

**Level:-**

**Atk:-**

**Def:-**

**Card Description: **Some sort of ghastly abomination made of frayed wires and metal pieces of different sizes and colors.

Tribute two Machine-type monsters on your side of the field. Summon one FC Token on your side of the field. The token's attack is equal to the combined attack of the tributed monsters, and the token's defense is equal to the combined defense of the two monsters.

**Peace Offering **

**Type: **Normal Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**Atk: **-  
**Def: **-

**Card Description: **Image of Mystical Elf holding out a fruit basket to an unseen receiver.

Take one card from your hand and place it in your opponent's deck without him seeing it. Then, your opponent shuffles his deck.

**Perpetual Motion Machine**

**Type: **Normal Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Card Description: **Image of a crazy-looking machine without any apparent purpose.

Special Summon up to three of your MACHINE-Type Monsters that have been removed from play whose base ATK does not exceed 2,000 apiece in face-up Attack Mode.

_Note: The above two cards were first used in "Yu-gi-oh! The Thousand Year Door", a fanfiction by Cyber Commander. All creative credit goes to him._

**0 0 0**

And cosidering Maria uses Amazons, that probably won't be the last two cards I use from the Thousand Year Door, either... anyway, review if you guys get the chance, and begin the countdown until I have to edit this chapter...

3...2...1...EDITED 10/8/06: Originally, Sam had given Syrus a card, but the I decided to have Maria give him Amazoness Swords Woman...but forgot to take out one of the mentions of Sam. Whoops...


End file.
